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<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>Manus Te&s;tium movens:
<HI>OR,</HI>
A PRESBYTERIALL GLOSSE
Upon many of tho&s;e ob&s;cure prophetick Texts
In <HI>Canticles, I&s;ay, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel,
Habakkuk, Zachary, Matthew, Romans,</HI>
and the <HI>Revelations:</HI>
Which point at
The great Day of the Witne&s;&s;es ri&s;ing,
Antichri&s;ts ruine, and the Jews Conver&s;ion,
neare about this time.</P>
<P>VVherein D^r. <HI>Homes,</HI> with the re&s;t of the
Independent Antichri&s;tian Time-&s;ervers are clearly
confuted, and out of their own Writings condemned: And
again&s;t them proved, That the pre&s;ent U&s;urpers in <HI>England</HI> are that
Antichri&s;tian Party who have &s;lain the Witne&s;&s;es, and &s;hall
reign but three yeers and an half, which time
is almo&s;t at an end.</P>
<P>To this Book mu&s;t be joyned <HI>Lingua Te&s;tium,</HI> being its proper Preface.</P>
<P><HI>Written by</HI>
Te&s;tis-mundus Catholicus Scotanglo-Britanicus.</P>
<P>Printed in the Yeer 1651.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>To the Reader.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>READER,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>THree things there are to be accompli&s;hed in the
world before the <HI>Day of Judgment. 1. The ri&s;ing
of the Witne&s;&s;es. 2. The ruine of Antichri&s;t. 3. The
re&s;tauration of the twelve Tribes to their own Land.</HI> This is
that <HI>fir&s;t re&s;ur<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">ect on; and ble&s;&s;ed is he that hath part therein,
Rev.</HI> 20. 5, 6. Three times a day do I u&s;ually bow the knee
to the God and Father of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, <HI>That he
would &s;peedily accompl<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;h the&s;e great things in the world.</HI>
Might I be &s;o ble&s;s'd of God to live to &s;ee the&s;e dayes, I
&s;hould with much rejoycing &s;ing <HI>te Deum&mdash;in the morn|ing,</HI>
though I were &s;ure to &s;ing a <HI>nunc dimittis&mdash;in the af|ternoon:</HI>
Until then, I &s;hall with &s;ighs and groans &s;ay,
<HI>Deus mi&s;ereatur;</HI> or with the <HI>Greek Church</HI> in their <HI>Litur|gie,</HI>
<GAP DESC="foreign">.</P>
<P>The&s;e things, though mo&s;t learned men hold they are
<HI>credenda &amp; &s;peranda,</HI> yet few by their practices hold them
to be <HI>&s;tretanda:</HI> indeed, one of the living Fathers of our
<HI>Engli&s;h Church</HI> is &s;o far from hoping, <HI>That he doth not be|lieve
the la&s;t of the&s;e three glorious things &s;hall ever be in the
world:</HI> 'Tis very &s;trange to me, and that which is mo&s;t
&s;trange, I find the &s;ame <HI>Author</HI> la&s;hing with his <HI>&s;atyricall
whip,</HI> not onely tho&s;e that have writ ami&s;s&punc; but tho&s;e that
adventure to write upon the <HI>Revelations:</HI> but what &s;aid
the <HI>Fox</HI> in the Fable, when he could not reach the grapes
<PB REF="3">
too high for him? after much pains, &s;aid he to him&s;elf,
<GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>grapes are exceeding &s;ower.</HI> Had this
learned man been private in his tart expre&s;&s;ions, I had not
been &s;o publick: but when <HI>(Phari&s;ee-like)</HI> &s;uch learned
Doctors &s;hall neither enter in them&s;elves, nor &s;uffer others
to enter in, it would provoke a &s;tone to &s;peak. What
though he under&s;tands it not, mu&s;t it therefore follow,
that no body el&s;e under&s;tands it? various are the gifts of
<HI>God</HI> to his people, and it is as lawful &amp; as nece&s;&s;ary for us
to &s;tudy that, as any other part of the Bible: <HI>It is a &s;in to be
wilfully negligent in the &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">arching into tho&s;e Prophe&s;ies, which
give light to the times we live in: in the Revelations there are
&s;hallows as well as depths; there both the Lamb may wade, and
the Elephant may &s;wim:</HI> and &s;o they may in <HI>Paul's Epi&s;tles,</HI>
and in the <HI>Evangelists,</HI> and in all the <HI>Prophets: the under|&s;tanding
of the prophe&s;ies, is the bright &s;ide of the Cloud to the
Chri&s;tian world; and when God &s;hall turn this bright &s;ide to|ward
the Jews (who onely have had the dark &s;ide towards them
the&s;e 1600. years) then &s;hall they be converted:</HI> the not &s;tu|dying
of the Prophe&s;ies, was the gro&s;s Hypocri&s;ie of the
Jews. <HI>Ye hypocrites,</HI> &s;aith Chri&s;t, <HI>ye can di&s;cern the face of the
skie, and can ye not d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;cern the times and the &s;ea&s;ons?</HI> The not
under&s;tanding, or neglect of &s;earching to under&s;tand the
prophetick texts of the <HI>Old Te&s;tament,</HI> was the cau&s;e of the
greate&s;t &s;in and &s;candal in the Church that ever was com|mitted,
and that was the murthering of Chri&s;t: and I am
confident the &s;elf-&s;ame ignorance and neglect hath been
the cau&s;e of the greate&s;t &s;in &amp; &s;candal that ever was com|mitted
in the <HI>Go&s;pel-Church, and that is the &s;laying of the
witne&s;&s;es:</HI> and therefore, if &s;earching after the Mind of <HI>God</HI>
in his written Word (which is all writ for our in&s;truction)
be to be vild in any mans eyes, I am re&s;olved I will be
<PB REF="3">
more vild in that mans eyes if I can: If <HI>reproaches, &s;coffs,
threats,</HI> or <HI>earne&s;t di&s;&s;wa&s;ions</HI> of <HI>friends,</HI> or <HI>foes,</HI> could have
quenched my little <HI>&s;park,</HI> it had long &s;ince been out: Bt
by the grace of <HI>God</HI> I have done what I have done, &amp; his
grace is &s;uperabundant to me: though 'tis true, I am alone
in regard of a&s;&s;ociates in this &s;tudy; yet I am not alone in
regard of a&s;&s;i&s;tants, for many of the ancient Fathers are
with me, and (which is all) the <HI>Scriptures</HI> are with me. I
have gone this warfare at my own great charge, and it
&s;eems I mu&s;t fight in this warfare alone. My earne&s;t
de&s;ire was but to ingage a grave wit to peru&s;e my wri|tings,
and for that end the&s;e papers were &s;ent to him;
but he (like <HI>Benzoma</HI> in the <HI>Talmud)</HI> was <HI>&s;em<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">er foris;</HI>
&s;o that when they returned to mee againe, I percei|ved
hee had not &s;o much as ca&s;t his eye upon them,
his other imployments plied him &s;o hard; &s;o that my poor
papers came from this rich mans &s;tudy (like <HI>Lazarus</HI> from
<HI>Dives's</HI> gate) as full of &s;ores as they went. From thence
they went (as I &s;uppo&s;ed) to men, but it &s;eemes they met
with mon&s;ters, at lea&s;t with mon&s;ter-makers: Had they
&s;mothered (like the wor&s;t of <HI>Egyptian Midwives)</HI> this my
hard-favour'd babe at the place of bringing forth, it had
not been half &s;o much; but in that they have, by their
pinching it, and plucking off its limbs, endeavoured to
make it a living mon&s;ter, to be a never-dying-monument
of reproach to the Father: This grieves me; but why
&s;hould it grieve me? when all the world knows that the
babes of <HI>Sion</HI> are inforced to be brought forth among&s;t
A&s;&s;es in a &s;table, when the Brats of <HI>Babel</HI> lie in the be&s;t
Rooms of the Inn. They go forth, <HI>Cum privilegio</HI> (though
not <HI>Regiae Maje&s;tatis)</HI> whereas mine &s;teals out by un|known
wayes, like <HI>Paul</HI> from his enemies, by a basket, o|ver
the wall: Con&s;idering the Printers care, and fear, and
<PB REF="4">
danger, I have rather cau&s;e to excu&s;e him, then exclaim a|gain&s;t
him: I hope this book will meet with none, but
&s;uch as in their wi&s;dom will amend ordinary faults, and
mi&s;takes: and for the other, I hope the <HI>Errata</HI> will in&s;truct
them. Tho&s;e things totally left out mo&s;t afflict me.</P>
<P>The &s;ubject of the Book I gave thee in the three fore|named
things to be accompli&s;hed on each of the&s;e three,
I have implici<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">ly handled the&s;e three Queries.</P>
<P>1. <HI>Who the Witne&s;&s;es are. 2. Where they are. 3. When
they &s;hall ri&s;e.</HI> Under this I have handled (divers from all
<HI>Engli&s;h</HI> Writers) who he is that &s;lays the Witne&s;&s;es,
where he &s;hall &s;lay them, how long they &s;hall be &s;lain, and
where he &s;hall be &s;lain (and when) that &s;lay them; and &s;o
of <HI>Antichri&s;t,</HI> and of the <HI>Jews</HI> conver&s;ion, when they &s;hall
be converted, who they are that &s;hall be converted, and
by whom they &s;hall be converted. This I have handled
more at large in the other little Tract called <HI>Lingua Te&s;ti|um,</HI>
which ought to be joyned to this, and was &s;o intend|ed,
though the winds and &s;torms of per&s;ecution &s;evered
them. My hearty prayer to <HI>God</HI> is, that this clay and &s;pet|tle
may (by the powerful operation of <HI>Gods</HI> &s;pirit) be effe|ctual,
to the opening the eyes of tho&s;e blind &s;oules, who
by the blind are led out of the way, and both fallen into
the ditch.</P>
<P>What I have done, is but as a Rams horn in a weak
mans hand; which one &s;tone (in probability) from <HI>Jeri|cho</HI>
walls is able to da&s;h in pieces: yet what cannot a rams
horn do, when <HI>God</HI> &s;ends it forth by his commi&s;&s;ion? it is
able to overthrow the &s;trong walls of <HI>Jericho.</HI> In <HI>God</HI> a|lone
I put my tru&s;t, he is my &s;trength, by his help have I
leaped over the wall of many difficulties; &amp; by his power
I tru&s;t I &s;hall undermine and blow up the wall of <HI>Babylon.</HI>
<PB REF="4">
I am &s;ure it &s;tands (though formidable to the beholder)
<GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>upon a tottering foundation;</HI> and ble&s;&s;ed are
tho&s;e Princes, and ble&s;&s;ed tho&s;e people and per&s;ons whom
<HI>God</HI> hath given a heart to enterpri&s;e &s;o great a work,
though they die in that &s;ervice, <HI>Rev.</HI> 14. 13.</P>
<P><HI>My prayer is that this Tract may be (as that voice in</HI>
Jeru&s;alem <HI>before its ruine)</HI> A voyce to the Magi&s;trate, and
a voice to the Mini&s;ter, a voice to the Papi&s;t, and a voice to the
Prote&s;tant, a voice to the aged, and a voice to the young, a voice
to the rich, and a voice to the poor, and a voice to all that be|long
to the Election of grace, to forewarn them to fly from the
evil to come; for be a&s;&s;ured (O ye people of England) that God
will vi&s;it you, and that &s;peedily, with his &s;ore and heavie judg|ments:
as you have been &s;ingular in &s;in, &s;o will God &s;ingle you
out to puni&s;hment: the day is at hand when Traytors and Cove|nant-breakers
&s;hall cry to the Mountains to fall upon them,
and to the hills to cover them from the wrath of God, which
will inevitably fall upon them.</P>
<P>Now that I might call &s;ome &s;ouls out from among&s;t
them, before the wrath of <HI>God</HI> break in upon them, and it
be too late, I have written this en&s;uing Tract with as
much plainne&s;&s;e and brevity as I could, I have pared off
all difficulties which might perplex the Reader, either in
the method, or in the &s;tyle; I have given thee here the
cream of many a moneths &s;tudy, which I have gathered
out of the choice&s;t books in <HI>Europe.</HI> I have left no &s;tone
unturned) nor any Library in England (that I could
come at) unran&s;ackt. I expect no bribes of breath or pro|fit,
but the profit of mine and thy &s;oul, which is the &s;oul
of profit: as to other profit I am a &s;tranger; indeed I am
a great loo&s;er, for I have con&s;umed both my body and e|&s;tate
to inrich my &s;oul, and others in this &s;tudy: no|thing
<PB REF="5">
but my bed and my meals have been tedious to me
&s;ince I undertook it; and if the Lord be plea&s;ed to pro&s;|per
it to the good but of any one &s;oul, I &s;hall dedicate my
whole life in prai&s;es to him, and account my corporall
lo&s;&s;es a thou&s;and times repaid me. For this end, I be|&s;eech
thee Reader, to read it, as I writ it. Seque&s;trate thy
&s;elf from di&s;tractions, and &s;it down as in the pre&s;ence of
<HI>God</HI> to &s;earch after his revealed Will in the&s;e <HI>mi&s;terious
texts.</HI> Watch again&s;t the Devils temptations, <HI>for he is mo&s;t
bu&s;ie about a man when he &s;its to meditate on the&s;e texts</HI> He
&s;hall never profit by this, that doth not (as that Father
&s;aith on the Cant.) <HI>Carnalem exuere affectum;</HI> he that
comes to this trea&s;ury with &s;mutcht and coalie heart and
hands, &s;hall carry away <HI>pro the&s;auro carbones:</HI> If thou
therefore find not that expected &s;atisfaction at the fir&s;t
reading of this book, lay not the fault (like <HI>Senecas</HI> Nur&s;e)
pre&s;ently upon the book; but &s;ee that it be not thy fault in
reading it: I give thee this the rather, becau&s;e I know it
will have many Cen&s;urers; but I am confident few con|futers:
remember (good reader) as thou mu&s;t an&s;wer one
day for thy lo&s;t hours, which are double lo&s;s; and as for
thy &s;luggi&s;h hearing and praying, &s;o for thy &s;luggi&s;h and
unprofitable reading of books: <HI>The Lord therefore for Je|&s;us
&s;ake grant, that thou may&s;t &s;o read as to under&s;tand; that
therein thou may&s;t be ble&s;&s;ed, which is the onely end of the Au|thors
labours.</HI></P>
<CLOSER>Vale.</CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="treatise">
<PB N="1" REF="5">
<P>_THe earne&s;t endeavour of Dr. <HI>Homes</HI> on <HI>October</HI>
the 8. 1650. was to per&s;wade the Lord Major,
Aldermen, and the chief of the City a&s;&s;embled
at <HI>Chri&s;t-Church,</HI> that now this year 1650. the
things done again&s;t the lawful Parliament of
<HI>England:</HI> together with the grand defeat
given to the <HI>Scots</HI> by <HI>Cromwell,</HI> was the ful|filling
litterally of his Text in <HI>P&s;al. 149. 8. 9. To bind their Kings
in Chains, and their Nobles in fetters of Iron,</HI> that they may exe|cute
upon them the vengeance written: this Honour have all his
Saints, the honour of impri&s;oning, arraigning, condemning, and
beheading the only Prote&s;tant King in the world, of di&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="2 letters">bing the
Prote&s;tant Peers of the Parliament of <HI>England,</HI> and of &s;ecluding
the &s;incere Prote&s;tants of the Commons of <HI>England,</HI> the changing
of the Government of <HI>England,</HI> the removing of the Covenanted
Reformation, and the invading of <HI>Scotland,</HI> and overthrowing of
the covenanting party; &s;uch honour have all the Saints (&s;aith Dr.
<HI>Homes:)</HI> this is &s;aith he (page 6.) <HI>remotio impedimenti,</HI> the re|moving
of impediments, and the holy ones; that is, the pre&s;ent
power now &s;itting at <HI>We&s;tmin&s;ter,</HI> which he calls a Parliament, have
removed the&s;e impediments: the Dr. gives a Catalogue of his
Saints, <HI>(viz.)</HI> the <HI>Parliame<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="2 letters">,</HI> the <HI>Councel of State,</HI> the <HI>Army,</HI> the
<HI>Magi&s;trates&punc;</HI> the <HI>Mini&s;ters,</HI> and the <HI>Churches:</HI> the&s;e are the
Doctors holy ones. I wonder how the Dr. left out the King of
<HI>Spain,</HI> the p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">incipal Saint next to the <HI>Pope</HI> in the&s;e honourable
actions they doubtle&s;s have (according to the Doctors in|terpretation)
endeavoured long before now in 88. and
the Gun-powder-plot to fulfil the Doctors Text literally,
that is, to overthrow King, Lords, and Commons, and all that
&s;tand &s;tedfa&s;tly to maintain Prote&s;tant Laws and Religion: the&s;e
are the things done, and the&s;e are the per&s;ons who perform them,
the actions (&s;aith the Dr.) are glorious, and the actors holy ones,
neither is this any new notion of the Doctors; for he profe&s;&s;eth
that 8. years agoe, he was of this opinion, that this year 1650.
&s;hould produce &s;uch glorious effects, as the beheading of King
<HI>Charles</HI> upon a Scaffold at his own door, (for &s;o the m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">n means
<PB N="2" REF="6">
plainly by his expre&s;&s;ions.) Is it not &s;trange that this Dr. &s;hould
be &s;o old a Prophet? nay, is it not &s;trange that he &s;hould be &s;o
&s;oon a Prophet, and &s;o &s;trange a Prophet? for in the year 1642.
the Dr. (as he &s;aith) foretold the&s;e things to come to pa&s;&s;e this
year, and in 1639. thou&s;ands of people know that he was a mali|cious
blood-hound of the per&s;ecuting Prelates, one that pro&s;ecu|ted
hone&s;t Chri&s;tians at the Bi&s;hops Courts with mo&s;t inveterate
hatred, and how &s;uddenly did this man put off his Paritors Bagge,
and put on his Prophets Mantle? how &s;oon did he that pleaded
for Crucifixes, Cringings, &s;urplices, cro&s;&s;ings, and Popi&s;h ceremo|nies,
that prayd for Bi&s;hops by what names or titles &s;oever di&s;tin|gui&s;hed,
that prayed for our gracious Soveraign King <HI>Charles,</HI>
King of great <HI>Brittain,</HI> Defender of the faith, and &s;upreme head of
the Church in all cau&s;es, and over all per&s;ons: how &s;oone did this
man turn? and how &s;trangely was he altered? that in 1642. he
&s;hould foretell the ruine of his gracious Soveraign, and now count
the day of his ruine and his Peers, that glorious day which lite|rally
fulfills the Doctors prophetical Text: the young King and
the Nobles may by this perceive what good friends the prelatical
Bratts are to Monarchy; but we proceed from page 20. to p. 27.
He takes pains to the purpo&s;e to per&s;wade the people to prai&s;e
God, &s;ince &s;uch glorious wonders are effected this day in the&s;e
times, and he layeth at the <HI>Presbyterians</HI> with all his might, rayl|ing
at them, that they wil not come in to make up the choice with
his holy people; he tells them, 'tis <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 word"> defect in their Con&s;ciences,
and if they be Saints, they are in the dark, or el&s;e they are full of
prejudice, or under &s;ome &s;trange temptations: nay, a little after
he &s;aith, they are no Saints; for it is a contradiction in Adjecto, to
&s;ay a man is a Saint, and will not be thankful; nay in page 2<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">. he
&s;aith, they are wilfully ob&s;tinate, and page 23. mi&s;complexioned,
and in page. 27. they are weak in judgeme<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">t, and di&s;tempered in
&s;pirit.</P>
<P>From the <HI>Presbyterians</HI> he turns away, and betakes him&s;elf
in his u&s;e to his holy people; and in page 32. he exhorts them
to prai&s;e God in oppo&s;ition to Kings, Monarchy being turned in|to
Democracy, and Kingdoms into Common wealths: here he
turns States-man, and takes upon him to tell whats the be&s;t Go|vernment
in the world, a regular Democracy (&s;aith he) a&s;&s;i&s;ted
with an occa&s;ional Ari&s;tocracy in tru&s;t is the &s;afe&s;t Government:
<PB N="3" REF="6">
here he goes about to put his holy Councel of State above his ho|ly
Parliament; he goeth on, and mo&s;t fal&s;ely, and mo&s;t unju&s;t|ly
&s;landers the Government of the <HI>Jews,</HI> &s;aying that this Demo|cracy
that he de&s;ired, was the ancient Government of the <HI>Jews:</HI>
here he doth abu&s;e both <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and <HI>Jo&s;hua,</HI> and all the Judges of
<HI>I&s;rael,</HI> which were ab&s;olute Monarchs, he proceeds and tells us
that the fir&s;t degenerate King was <HI>Nimrod;</HI> ob&s;erve here how the
Dr. in&s;n<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">res him&s;elf.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, He acknowledgeth the Office of a King to be lawful,
why el&s;e doth he &s;ay, degenerate King? for if a Kingly Govern|ment
be not lawful, <HI>Nimrods</HI> Office was enough to make him de|generate.</P>
<P>Secondly, He acknowledgeth there were lawful Kings before
<HI>Nimrod,</HI> therefore he calls this <HI>Nimrod</HI> not the fir&s;t King, but the
fir&s;t degenerate King; here the Dr. &s;pake truth not at unawares,
but premeditatively; for in page 9. He acknowledgeth, that there
was a holy King before <HI>Nimrod,</HI> and that was <HI>Melchizedeck</HI> King
of <HI>Salem,</HI> Prie&s;t of the mo&s;t high God, <HI>Heb.</HI> 7. This <HI>Melchizedeck</HI>
he &s;aith was <HI>Sem</HI> the Sonne of <HI>Noah.</HI> mark then how this wicked
perverter of the wayes of truth even again&s;t his Con&s;cience
contradicts him&s;elf; for in page 32. he &s;tirs up the people
to prai&s;e God for the De&s;truction of Kingly Government and
Monarchy, that Kingdoms are turned into Common-wealths, and
Monarchy into democracy, and in page 39. brands all tho&s;e with
the mark of <HI>Antichri&s;tian,</HI> which go about to uphold Kings or
Kingly Government, and yet confe&s;&s;eth that Kingly Government
is lawful Government; can any &s;ober-minded man give credit to
&s;uch a &s;elf condemned wretch, he proceeds in page 32. to ray&s;e at
Kingly Government, &s;aying that God is angry at the peoples ask|ing
a King, and God gave them a King in anger, the 1. <HI>Sam.</HI> 8.
the Doctor never con&s;iders it was their manner of asking a King
that provoked God, neither doth he con&s;ider how that God gave
them only a King in wrath; for God continued the Office when
he de&s;troyed the per&s;on of the King, and God him&s;elf tho&s;e <HI>Da|vid</HI>
King, after <HI>Saul;</HI> which Government continued unremoved for
<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">4. Generations together, <HI>Mat.</HI> 1. and at la&s;t it was (as a grievous
puni&s;hment for their &s;in) removed. But the Doctor forgets
or conceals this: he proceeds to exclaim again&s;t the lives of Kings,
thereby to defame their Office, he calls them ambitious blood|&s;uckers,
<PB N="4" REF="7">
&amp; asks, what Kings have done &s;ince Chri&s;ts time until now
for Chri&s;t? but even much again&s;t Chri&s;t &amp; true Chri&s;tians, he for|gets
that the fir&s;t Chri&s;tian King in the world was he that &s;ubdued
this Kingdom of <HI>England</HI> to the profe&s;&s;ion of the Go&s;pel; he for|gets
what <HI>Con&s;tantine</HI> that Monarch did, in turning all the Empire,
the mo&s;t of the world, from Pagani&s;me to Chri&s;tianity. I'le only
aske this que&s;tion of the Doctor, what glorious reformation in the
world was ever wrought without a Monarch? but the Dr. pro|ceeds
and tells us page 23. that there is divine rea&s;on, why States
&s;hould incline to Democracy: one rea&s;on is; becau&s;e God did cre|ate
us not Kings but people: take this rea&s;on of the Doctors one
way, it is ridiculous non-&s;ence: take it another way, it is an ab|&s;olute
untruth; for <HI>Adam</HI> the fir&s;t man created by God, was cre|ated
a Monarch, God put all things under him to be &s;ubject and
&s;erviceable to him; but his chief rea&s;on again&s;t Monarchy is; be|cau&s;e
God hath &s;etled his decree again&s;t Monarchy, <HI>Dan.</HI> 2. Here
the Doctors jugling is di&s;covered; for it is not Monarchy, but
degenerate Monarchy that God threatens to throw down: &amp; this
the Dr. doth as good as confe&s;s in page 32. where he confe&s;&s;eth
that the Monarchy of <HI>Nimrod</HI> was a degenerate Monarchy, be|cau&s;e
a tyrannical one: now to argue, becau&s;e God will overthrow
tyranical Monarchy, therefore he will overthrow all Monarchy,
holds no more true in the con&s;equence, then, becau&s;e God will
damn all reprobated men, therefore hee'l damn all men. Thus have
I given you a &s;ummary view of the chief things in the Doctors
Sermon; whereby it may plainly appear to every eye, that the
drift of this fellow (as of the re&s;t of his Je&s;uited fraternity) is to
prove the Prote&s;tants of <HI>England,</HI> &amp; their civil Government to be
Antichri&s;tian, and that tho&s;e that have blowne up the lawful Parl.
are the Saints of the holy people, whom God hath &s;et apart for &s;uch
a work, and honoured them withall, <HI>that they have bound Kings in
Chains, and Nobles in Fetters of Iron:</HI> this he calls the throwing
down of <HI>Antichri&s;t,</HI> which eight years agoe he foretold would
come to pa&s;&s;e, about this year 1650. which is a year that the In|dependent-time-&s;ervers
much ha<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">p upon, and this Dr. in &s;pecial al|leaging
many Texts of prophetical Scripture to make good what he
affirms in this explication of &s;ome Texts of Scripture, I do acknow|ledge
there is much rea&s;on and truth; but in the application of
the&s;e Texts mo&s;t abominable fal&s;hoods: therefore I will deal with
the Dr. as <HI>Prima&s;ius</HI> did with <HI>Tichonius</HI> the <HI>Donati&s;t,</HI> who wrote
<PB N="5" REF="7">
on the <HI>Revelation</HI> before him, he made u&s;e of what was good in
the book, and what was otherwi&s;e rejected; for (as he in his pro|logue
on the <HI>Revelations</HI> &s;aith, <HI>A wi&s;e man will not refu&s;e a precious
&s;tone, becau&s;e it &s;ticketh in a Dungil;</HI> &s;o neither is precious truth
to be rejected, becau&s;e it may be found &s;ometimes among&s;t hereti|cal
opinions, <HI>nam&abque; fides &agrave; per fidis colligit quod &s;uijuris e&s;&s;e cogn<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">ve|rit,</HI>
&s;aith he; what is good in the Doctors book, I &s;hall make the be&s;t
and the true&s;t u&s;e of, and what is evil and irrational, I &s;hall di&s;co|ver
it.</P>
<P>As an introduction to this weighty bu&s;ine&s;s, I &s;hall fir&s;t di&s;cour&s;e
of Monarchy, which is &s;o much cryed down by the Doctor. Fir&s;t I
&s;hal prove it to be <HI>Jure divino.</HI> Secondly, to continue in the Church
vi&s;ibly from <HI>Adam</HI> until Chri&s;t, except in a time of Gods extreme
wrath on the Church, when he &s;eemed to de&s;troy them. Thirdly,
that Monarchs have alwayes been the chief in&s;truments by whom
God hath done the great and glorious things in the Church. I will
treat as briefly as may be on all the&s;e.</P>
<P>1. Monarchy is <HI>Jure divino;</HI> becau&s;e God in&s;tituted it. He crea|ted
<HI>Adam,</HI> the Monarch of the whole world, <HI>Gen.</HI> 1. 28. he had do|minion
over every living thing that moveth upon the earth; if any
&s;hould &s;ay, except man: I do here affirm, that <HI>Adam</HI> had dominion
over man; for by the 5. Commandement, man was bound to &s;ubmit
unto him. If any &s;hould &s;ay, that the form of Government was bro|ken
by <HI>Adams</HI> fall. To that we an&s;wer, though the fall of <HI>Adam</HI> di&s;|inabled
him to perform exactly the duty of a Monarch, &amp; di&s;inabled
his po&s;terity to the exact performance of their duty; yet their fall
did not ab&s;olve the one or the other from their duty: the Law
&s;tood when <HI>Adam</HI> fell, and exacted as much from <HI>Adam</HI> and his
po&s;terity, after they fell, as before they fell, and they were as much
bound to fulfil the &s;ame after as before, otherwi&s;e there had been
no need of a Mediator: &s;o that the Argument is &s;trong: What was
in&s;tituted by God, and never abrogated, is &s;till in force: that Mo|narchy
was &s;ucce&s;&s;ive, is very clear; for <HI>Cain, Adams</HI> elde&s;t Son, was
by Gods appointment to enjoy the dominion after his Father, <HI>Gen.</HI>
4. 7. for his well doing or evil doing God will reckon with him; not
<HI>Abel,</HI> though he were a real Saint, no, <HI>Abel</HI> mu&s;t by Gods in&s;tituti|on
&s;ubject to <HI>Cain; Cains</HI> wickedne&s;s could not excu&s;e <HI>Abels</HI> &s;ub|jection;
nor <HI>Abels</HI> Saint-&s;hip di&s;po&s;&s;e&s;s his ungodly Brother: &s;aith
<PB N="6" REF="8">
God to <HI>Cain,</HI> unto thee &s;hall his de&s;ire be &s;ubject, and thou &s;halt
rule over him, &s;o <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tome de cau&s;am padius Calvine Ain&s;worth,</HI>
and many other learned men under&s;tand the Text, and &s;o the <HI>Sep|tuagint</HI>
tran&s;lates it: now if <HI>Abel,</HI> then <HI>Abels</HI> inferiors were to
&s;ubmit unto <HI>Cain,</HI> and &s;o by con&s;equence, all the world after this
horrid breach in nature. God put a va&s;t difference betwixt the ho|ly
&s;eed and <HI>Cains</HI> po&s;terity; for God rai&s;ed out of <HI>Adams</HI> loines
a Monarch for the Church.</P>
<P>2. This Monarchy we prove continued in the Church until
Chri&s;t: after <HI>Abels</HI> death God gave <HI>Adam</HI> a godly Son in his
&s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">ad <HI>Sheth, Seths</HI> Family was known by the Sonnes of God,
which implies thus much, that the Church of God were a people
then &s;eparated from the world, from <HI>Cains</HI> wicked po&s;terity, who
&s;oon run into Anarchy, out of which aro&s;e cruel tyranny.</P>
<P>The&s;e times were dark times, for we have very little either of
civil or eccle&s;ia&s;tick Hi&s;tory, until after the flood: therefore
<HI>Scaliger</HI> calls this time <HI>tempus</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, a time not manife&s;t; yet
this is manife&s;t, that the Church was di&s;tinct from the world in
<HI>Seths</HI> Family: they were a community of them&s;elves, and 'tis mo&s;t
probable, nay I think I may &s;ay among&s;t Scholars, it is undeniable,
that Monarchical Government continued in <HI>Seths</HI> po&s;terity, pa&s;|&s;ing
from him to his Sonne <HI>Enos,</HI> and &s;o to <HI>Canaan Enos</HI> Son, and
&s;o to <HI>Mahalalel Camaans</HI> Son, from him to <HI>Jarud,</HI> from <HI>Jarud</HI> to
<HI>Enoch,</HI> from <HI>Enoch</HI> to <HI>Mathu&s;elah,</HI> from <HI>Mathu&s;elah</HI> to <HI>Samach,</HI>
from <HI>Samach</HI> to <HI>Noah:</HI> I humbly conceive (with &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion to
better Judgeements) <HI>Gen.</HI> 5. is a cropologie of the Monarchs, that
&s;ucceeded in the Church before the Flood, at la&s;t the Church ad|mitted
of a cur&s;ed toleration, by mixing them&s;elves with the A|thei&s;tical
world: whereupon God &s;we<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">t the whole world away,
except 8. per&s;ons who had kept their Garments clean. <HI>Noah</HI> the
Monarch of the Church hereby became the Monarch of the
world, which was but little, and confined within a little compa&s;&s;e
after <HI>Noah: Shem</HI> &s;ucceeded in&s;tead of him wicked <HI>Ham's</HI> po&s;te|rity,
together with <HI>Japh<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">th,</HI> ran into heatheni&s;me, and into Anar|chy;
out of which aro&s;e the mon&s;trous Tyrants, &s;uch as <HI>Nimrod;</HI>
but Kingly Government by the Doctors own confe&s;&s;ion, was pre|&s;erved
in the Church at that time; for he &s;aith page 9. tha<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>Shem</HI>
the Son of <HI>Noah</HI> was <HI>Melchizedeck;</HI> now <HI>Melchizedeck</HI> (the old
<PB N="7" REF="8">
Te&s;tament and the new, <HI>(Heb.</HI> 7. tell us) he was <HI>King</HI> of <HI>Salem,</HI>
he was a King: &s;o that we having proved Monarchy in the Church,
to be vi&s;ible from <HI>Adam</HI> till after the flood, I doubt not but by
Gods grace to make it more clearly appear from the flood until
Chri&s;t, except in the ca&s;e of a national de&s;ertion, when God for
their &s;ins for&s;ook them, &amp; purpo&s;ely as a de&s;igned judgment on the
Nation, threw down their Government, and made them extreamly
mi&s;erable by taking away their Monarchs: Now this is &s;o far from
a&s;per&s;ing Monarchy, that it is a high commendation of Monarchy,
and &s;ets t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">ke &s;tamp of nece&s;&s;ity upon it, without which the Church
and State cannot well &s;ub&s;i&s;t; after the flood <HI>Sem</HI> the Son of <HI>Noah</HI>
was the Monarch in the Church, he is called King of <HI>Salem,</HI> be|cau&s;e
he was King of that place, which afterwards was called <HI>Jeru|&s;alem,</HI>
as &s;ome conceive. As for his being without Father or Mo|ther
which the holy Gho&s;t mentioned, <HI>Heb.</HI> 7. 3. I humbly conceive,
it is &s;poken in reference to his Offices: his Prie&s;tly Office, he re|ceived
immediately from God: all the other Prie&s;ts were the Sons
of <HI>Levi,</HI> they had a Father; but this had no Father, he was the a|nointed
of God, and herein he was a Type of Chri&s;t, he was
<GAP DESC="foreign"> in this &s;en&s;e, becau&s;e he received his Prie&s;t|hood,
not from any Pedegree, but immediately from God: o|ther
Prie&s;ts if they could not prove their Pedegree were to be
ca&s;t out from being Prie&s;ts; but the&s;e Prie&s;ts were of the Order
of <HI>Aaron,</HI> of the Tribe of <HI>Levi:</HI> this <HI>Melchizedeck</HI> is &s;aid to be
without beginning of days, or end of life; perhaps, becau&s;e (as the
Doctor &s;aith) he lived many years in both worlds, that is, in the
old before the flood, and in the new after the flood, <HI>Sem</HI> lived
four&s;core and 18. years in the old world, <HI>Cen.</HI> 11. 10. 11. and he
lived 600 years in the new world after the flood; as <HI>Gen.</HI> 5. gives
us a true Catalogue of the Monarchs in the Church before the
Church: &s;o <HI>Gen.</HI> 11. gives us &s;uch another Catalogue of tho&s;e who
lived after the flood unto <HI>Abraham: Shem</HI> had <HI>Elam</HI> and <HI>A&s;her.</HI>
before the flood, <HI>Gen.</HI> 10. 22. but they were drowned in the flood,
but two years after the flood <HI>Sem</HI> begat <HI>Arphaxad,</HI> who was his el|de&s;t
Son, who had the right of domination, after him &s;ucceeded <HI>Sa|lah</HI>
his elde&s;t Son; after <HI>Salah</HI> &s;ucceeded his elde&s;t Son <HI>Eber,</HI> after <HI>E|ber
Peleg,</HI> after <HI>Peleg Reu,</HI> after <HI>Reu Serag,</HI> after <HI>Serag Nahor,</HI> after
<PB N="8" REF="9">
<HI>Nahor Terah,</HI> after <HI>Terah</HI> &s;ucceeded <HI>Abraham:</HI> here God only &s;et
down the Monarchs in the Church; for every one of the&s;e had
more Sons then one 'tis probable, but they are not mentioned, be|cau&s;e
they were not the elde&s;t Sons, they had not the priviledge
of the fir&s;t-born, who by Gods Law, <HI>Gen.</HI> 4. 7. were to have the
Dominion. Thus you &s;ee Religion and Monarchy kept together in
<HI>Sems</HI> Family after the flood until <HI>Abraham.</HI></P>
<P>With <HI>Abraham</HI> God made a Covenant, and promi&s;ed to make
him a Nation, and a great Nation, <HI>Gen.</HI> 12. 2. and that he would
give him the Land of <HI>Canaan,</HI> and his &s;eed &s;hould po&s;&s;e&s;s it, and
multiply as the du&s;t of the earth, <HI>Gen. 13. 15&punc;</HI> 16. This was a gra|cious
day of comfort to the poor Church, to hear of a ble&s;&s;ed &s;eed
that &s;hall grow up to a great Nation, and be a ble&s;&s;ing to all the
world; this promi&s;e did God renew to <HI>Abraham,</HI> after he parted
with <HI>Lot:</HI> this <HI>Abraham</HI> was both valiant and pious, as appears by
the redemption of his Kin&s;man <HI>Lot</HI> out of the hands of tho&s;e
Kings which took him captive&punc; after which Victory <HI>Melchizedeck</HI>
met him, unto whom <HI>Abraham</HI> (as a King in homage to him, and
as a Prie&s;t in duty to him) paid Tythes: this <HI>Melchizedeck</HI> proba|bly
was <HI>Sem;</HI> for <HI>Sem</HI> was then living, and lived above 150. years
after this fight, &s;o that it was <HI>Abrahams</HI> duty to pay Tythes to
<HI>Melchizedeck;</HI> for he was by right the ab&s;olute Soveraign in the
Church, and in that re&s;pect without Father or Mother, that is,
without any &s;uperior, and in that re&s;pect <HI>Melchizedeck</HI> was a type
of Chri&s;t; for Chri&s;t is ab&s;olute Monarch of the Church, he is
without Father or Mother in that re&s;pect, he is &s;ubject to none.
But to the thing in hand: we &s;ee it is clear that Monarchy
and Religion have been continued in the Church together, from
<HI>Adam</HI> to <HI>Abraham:</HI> now from <HI>Abraham</HI> till Chri&s;t. Mo|narchy
continued in the Church: it is &s;o vi&s;ible to every one that
reads the Scripture, that I will put it under the third Po&s;ition
which I intend to treat briefly on, <HI>viz.</HI></P>
<P><PB N="9" REF="9">
Thirdly, That the greate&s;t good that ever the Church of God received here
on earth from God, they received from the hands of Monarchs.</P>
<P>The Scripture tells us of four glorious dayes that have been and &s;hall be in
the world before the day of Judgement; three of the&s;e dayes are pa&s;t, <HI>viz.</HI> The
day of Gods making known him&s;elf on Mount <HI>Sinai</HI> to his Church, in the
di&s;pen&s;ation of his grace and love to his Church, in giving them Laws and
Ordinances for &s;tanding rules of his Wor&s;hip, untill the time of perfect Re|formation:
<HI>Mo&s;es</HI> the Monarch of the Church was the in&s;trument of receiving
the&s;e Laws and Ordinances from God, and the in&s;trument of divulging them
to the Church: <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> was not only the In&s;trument of the greate&s;t deliverance
of the Church from the greate&s;t danger, but the In&s;trument of conveying the
greate&s;t good to them. That this <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> was an ab&s;olute Monarch, none will
deny that hath either wit or mode&s;ty, for the twelve Tribes received the Law
at his mouth, and all matters of Judicature were determined by him, beyond
him there was no appeal; the people or the Elders did not choo&s;e him, but he
ordained Elders and &s;et over the people; he was an ab&s;olute Monarch, none
might &s;peak again&s;t him or re&s;i&s;t him; every Chri&s;tian that reads the Bible,
knows this to be a plain truth: he was the fir&s;t Monarch that was over the
twelve Tribes and their families, which were many thou&s;ands in number: this
<HI>Mo&s;es</HI> God appointed to be the Ruler over the&s;e great people; he led them like
a flock of &s;heep; no &s;heepheard had more ab&s;olute command over his flock,
then <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> over the twelve Tribes. The Monarchs of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> in their infancie,
(whiles the Church was in Tabernacles) were called Judges; the removing of
the&s;e Monarchs was the greate&s;t Judgement that could befall the Church, and
and it was the greate&s;t mercy of God to re&s;tore them again. This <HI>Samuel</HI> in
rea&s;oning tells the people, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 12. 8. God gave not <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and <HI>Aaron</HI> to <HI>I&s;|rael,</HI>
untill <HI>I&s;rael</HI> cried unto the Lord: Ordinary prayers will not attain &s;o
great a ble&s;&s;ing to a nation as a godly Magi&s;tracy and Mini&s;try, they mu&s;t be
&s;trong cries to God that mu&s;t obtain &s;uch extraordinary mercies, <HI>ver.</HI> 9, 10.
the people provoked God by their Idolatry, and God threw down their Govern|ment,
and made them &s;erve their enemies; and then the people cried to the
Lord, and renewed their Covenant, then God &s;ent <HI>Gideon,</HI> ver. 11. he rai&s;ed
him up to deliver them: God never took away Monarchy from <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> but in
wrath for the peoples &s;ins; and God never re&s;tored it again, but he gave it as a
&s;ingular mercy, and &s;ign of his favour to them.</P>
<P>4. <HI>Ob.</HI> God gave them a King in his wrath, and he was angry with the peo|ple
for asking a King, God calls it a rejecting of him.</P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> We an&s;wer briefly: 1. God gave not the Office of a King, but the Per|&s;on
of a King in wrath. 2. He was angry at the peoples manner of asking a
King, for they asked not a King of <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> de&s;cribing, <HI>Deut.</HI> 17. 15, 16, 17, 18, 19,
20. but a King like the Heathens that were Tyrants; well &s;aith God, they
&s;hall have &s;uch a King that &s;hall play the Tyrant among&s;t them like the hea|then
Kings; therefore God bids <HI>Samuel</HI> &s;hew them what manner of King God
will give them; this Tyrant God gave him for a &s;courge, yet no man, no not
<HI>David,</HI> though he were a Saint and an annointed Saint, dur&s;t touch <HI>Sauls</HI> life;
though <HI>Saul</HI> were really a murtherer, a Tyrant, and a publike enemy; if <HI>Davids</HI>
heart &s;mote him for cutting off <HI>Sauls</HI> skirt, O how would it have &s;mote him had
<PB N="10" REF="10">
he cut off his head! Monarchs are re&s;pon&s;able for their actions to God: No
man on earth, much le&s;&s;e their &s;ubjects may judg or condemn them, but God
only; God took away this wicked King in his anger, as he &s;et him up in
his wrath. 3. 'Tis manife&s;t that God anointed <HI>David,</HI> and &s;et him up King
over <HI>I&s;rael</HI> of his own free will, and made a promi&s;e unto him (as unto <HI>Abra|ham)</HI>
that his &s;eed &s;hould inherit the throne after him to many generations:
Now began the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> to flouri&s;h now Kingly government was e&s;tabli&s;hed;
now, and not till now, had they perfect Conque&s;t over all their enemies round
about; now the Ark was fetched home to <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> that had long lyen in ob|&s;curity.
And after <HI>David, Solomon</HI> built a mo&s;t &s;umptuous and rich Temple
unto God, he placed the Ark in it, where it remained in its re&s;ting place; he
builded Altars, ordained Sacrifices, made the Sea, the golden Candle&s;ticks, the
Trumpets and all the holy ve&s;&s;els of gold and &s;ilver; he ordered the Prie&s;ts, and
maintenance for the Prie&s;ts, and the Singers, and the Porters; this was the &s;e|cond
glorious day above others in the world; this day far exceeded <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> his
day for beauty, and lu&s;tre; but <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> his day was the &s;tand<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">ng rule, all was writ by
<HI>Mo&s;es</HI> his copy, though it was writ in a far fairer hand by <HI>Solomon:</HI> this day was
the noon-time of Reformation with the Saints under the old Te&s;tament, and
this day God made a Monarch to be the in&s;trument of effecting it.</P>
<P>The third glorious day in the world, which was the day of all dayes, was the
day of Chri&s;ts coming in the fle&s;h to perfect a Reformation; he was <HI>(Luk. 3.)</HI>
a Monarch by &s;ucce&s;&s;ion from <HI>Adam,</HI> and of the Royall family of <HI>Judah;</HI> he was
the mighty King long looked for and long before promi&s;ed; he was and is re|ally
the King of the Church, he made null and void all <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> his Ceremoniall
&s;hadows, he pulled down the Temple-wor&s;hip, and &s;et up Laws and Ordinan|ces
of his own; never man &s;pake or did like him; he was Monarch not only over
the &s;ouls of all men in the world, but is by right of &s;ucce&s;&s;ion, conque&s;t, and
compact with his Father, Monarch of the whole nations, of the bodies as well
as the &s;ouls of men: this Monarch hath gotten him a true right by his con|que&s;t
as well as by his naturall prerogative, and therefore he truly may bear
that name and title which others u&s;urp, <GAP DESC="foreign">,
the King of Kings ruling over Kings: Chri&s;t is King of Kings and
Lord of Lords, he hath ab&s;olute power over the bodies and &s;ouls of all men,
and expects obedience from them all; 'tis he that gives all the men in the
world protection, and gives them wealth and honours; he is never a jot the
le&s;&s;e King over the body, becau&s;e he is a &s;pirituall King and King of the &s;oul;
for as the rich man that commands the gold is ma&s;ter al&s;o of the cabinet that
holds it, &s;o is Chri&s;t of the body which is but the cabinet of that precious
Jewel the &s;oul: Chri&s;t refu&s;ing to be made a King, and &s;aying his Kingdom
was not of the world, deprived him not of his due, for he was born Monarch of
the world as de&s;cending from <HI>Adam,</HI> and King of the <HI>Jews</HI> as de&s;cending of
<HI>David;</HI> and when he was on earth he gave Laws to all the world both <HI>Jews</HI>
and Gentiles, to be ob&s;erved on pain of damnation, herein he exerci&s;ed the
power of a Monarch: This Monarch is in his being independent, and in his
power independent, he hath voluntary commands which he will have his &s;ub|jects
to obey though he give no rea&s;on for it.</P>
<P>This independent power is only in him, no man is independent but only this
<PB N="11" REF="10">
mighty Monarch; and therefore the Prote&s;tants rightly call the Pope Anti|chri&s;t,
becau&s;e he makes him&s;elf ab&s;olutely independent in his power, which is
to make him&s;elf equall with Chri&s;t; nay in this he &s;ets him&s;elf above Chri&s;t;
for Chri&s;t when he was on earth, &s;ubjected him&s;elf to the Scriptures, and re|ferred
him&s;elf to the <HI>Jews</HI> to be tried by their own Prophets, whether he were
not the Chri&s;t; but the Pope u&s;urpes a power over the Scriptures; and herein
I may truly &s;ay, that Independency is the <HI>formalis ratio Antichri&s;ti,</HI> becau&s;e it
&s;ets up man equall with Chri&s;t, yea above Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>This Monarch, the Lord Je&s;us &s;et up new Laws, Statutes and Ordinances
in the world, the which we finde in the new Te&s;tament; this day was a glo|rious
day to the Gentiles, but through the <HI>Jews</HI> ob&s;tinacy and unbelief was a
black di&s;mall day to them, for they pulled his blood on their heads to their
bane, which blood was appointed for their &s;alvation.</P>
<P>The rules that this Monarch gave from his own mouth, and the mouthes of
his Amba&s;&s;adours the Apo&s;tles, are appointed for &s;tanding rules unto the end
of the world, before which there is a fourth glorious day to come.</P>
<P>This fourth day the Prophets have prophecied of, and Chri&s;t hath prophe|cied
of, and the Apo&s;tles have prophecied of, and e&s;pecially <HI>John</HI> in the <HI>Reve|lations</HI>
had a &s;ight of; this day &s;hall &s;ub&s;cribe in matter of fundamentals and
&s;ub&s;tantials to the day of Chri&s;ts being on earth; but it &s;hall as far exceed that
day in lu&s;tre and in glorious effects, as <HI>Solomons</HI> day exceeded <HI>Mo&s;es;</HI> and my
rea&s;ons are, becau&s;e the <HI>Jews</HI> and Gentiles &s;hall be united this day in one faith;
and if Chri&s;ts day of rejecting the <HI>Jews</HI> were the riches of the Gentiles, how
much more their fullne&s;&s;e. 2. There are more glorious promi&s;es made to this
day (in the Prophets) then any day; for this day now coming was the day that
the Prophets chiefly prophecied of, when they prophecied of a good day to <HI>Ju|dah</HI>
and <HI>Jeru&s;alem.</HI> 3. This day &s;hall procure the de&s;truction of the three
grand enemies of the Go&s;pel, the Dragon, the Bea&s;t, and the fal&s;e Prophet.
4. And all the Kingdoms in the world &s;hall become Chri&s;ts, which &s;ince the
Creation hath not yet been effected; of this day I am to treat. We have &s;een
the three other daies effected by Monarchs, this glorious day &s;hall al&s;o be effe|cted
by a Monarch &s;o far as I can perceive; for it mu&s;t be done by the ri&s;ing
of the &s;lain Witne&s;&s;es, which is a lawfull Magi&s;tracy and a lawfull Mini&s;try,
which we &s;hall prove in the en&s;uing di&s;cour&s;e; where we &s;hall treat of the
things immediatly preceding this great day; <HI>viz.</HI> 1. The Witne&s;&s;es &s;laying,
and the Bea&s;ts of the earth tyranny over the Saints. 2. We &s;hall concur with
the Doctor in the time, and &s;ay, that in the end of this year 1650, or neer a|bout
that time, this glorious day of the Witne&s;&s;es ri&s;ing and Antichri&s;ts ruine
&s;hall begin; but we &s;hall ab&s;olutely deny and di&s;own the Doctors &s;igns of An|tichri&s;ts
fall; for he &s;aith, That the beheading of the King, and the ca&s;ting off
the Lords, and the beating of the <HI>Scots,</HI> is the glorious beginning of Anti|chri&s;ts
fall; and hereby is his text liberally fulfilled; herein we &s;hall unca&s;e
the Doctors weakne&s;&s;e or wilfull wickedne&s;&s;e, it may be both: The which I
will endeavour to do; by laying open the manife&s;t truth as it lieth in the Scri|ptures,
many of which texts the Doctor quoteth.</P>
<P>We are both agreed, that the time of Antichri&s;ts fall &s;hall be near 1650. this
pre&s;ent year or pre&s;ently after it, therefore wee'l pa&s;&s;e that, both of us con|cluding,
<PB N="12" REF="11">
That the great day of Reformation is to begin this year, or within
twelve moneths of this year 1650. as the Doctor Learnedly proves in <HI>Pag.</HI>
15, 16, 17.</P>
<P>But now the difference that will ari&s;e betwixt the Doctor and I, will be
about what &s;hall be done in this great day.</P>
<P>This I do affirm, yet not I but the Scriptures: 1. That the Witne&s;&s;es
&s;hall ari&s;e in this day. 2. That the Dragon, the Bea&s;t and the fal&s;e Prophet
&s;hall be overcome in this day. 3. The Jews &s;hall begin to be converted, both
the two Tribes and the ten Tribes, and all the Kingdoms in the world &s;hall
become Chri&s;ts. In the generall, as I have delivered them, I think the Doctor
and I do not much differ, unle&s;&s;e the Doctor differ from what he hath for|merly
delivered, which is no &s;trange thing if he do.</P>
<P>I affirm, That the glorious day of de&s;troying the Bea&s;t and this fal&s;e Pro|phet,
and chaining the Dragon, and of the Jews conver&s;ion, &s;hall be begun
when the Witne&s;&s;es ari&s;e from their &s;laying: Now this implies two things,
when the Witne&s;&s;es ari&s;e from their &s;laying: Now this implies two things,</P>
<P>1. That the Witne&s;&s;es &s;hall be &s;lain immediatly before this day.</P>
<P>2. That &s;ome enemy of the Church &s;hall &s;lay them.</P>
<P>So that it will not be ami&s;&s;e to enquire, 1. Who &s;laies them; and 2. when
they are &s;lain; we &s;hall do both together exceeding briefly.</P>
<P>In <HI>Revel.</HI> 11. 7. and <HI>Daniel</HI> 7. 25. there is both; 1. The Bea&s;t that &s;laies
them, 2. The Witne&s;&s;es that are &s;lain, and 3. the time when this &s;hall be, in
<HI>Revel.</HI> 11. 7. when the Witne&s;&s;es have fini&s;hed their te&s;timony, that is, when
their 1260 daies, <HI>(i.)</HI> years of prophe&s;ying in &s;ackcloth is out, <HI>v.</HI> 3. Then
the Bea&s;t a&s;cending (or that a&s;cendeth) out of the bottomle&s;s pit, &s;hall make
warre with them, overcome them, and kill them. After three daies and an
half, <HI>(i.)&punc;</HI> three years and an half, the&s;e Witne&s;&s;es mu&s;t ri&s;e, <HI>v.</HI> 11. and im|mediatly
after the &s;eventh Trumpet &s;oundeth, and then the Kingdoms of this
world became the Lords and his Chri&s;ts, <HI>v.</HI> 15. This all men will grant is the
beginning of the great day of Reformation which immediatly follows upon
their ri&s;ing. And this is worth the noting al&s;o, <HI>v.</HI> 13. the &s;ame hour the emi|nent
enemies of the Church are &s;lain, the&s;e men of name who are numbred
by their name, tho&s;e painted out&s;ide Saints, but in&s;ide devils, they &s;hall fall,
and then, <HI>v.</HI> 19. the Temple of God is opened, and the vials are poured out,
this you have in <HI>Revel.</HI> 11. Now mark how that in <HI>Dan.</HI> 7. an&s;wers to this:
<HI>Daniel</HI> in this chapter had a vi&s;ion of the four Monarchies, the <HI>A&s;syrian,</HI> the
<HI>Per&s;ian,</HI> the <HI>Graecian,</HI> and the <HI>Roman</HI> Monarchy: After the&s;e four Monarchies
are extingui&s;hed, Chri&s;t will &s;et up his Monarchy, <HI>v. 18. The Saints of the
mo&s;t high &s;hall take the Kingdom and po&s;se&s;&s;e it for ever and ever,</HI> that is, untill the
day of Judgement: this is the beginning of the glorious day of Reformation,
which &s;hall be when the <HI>Roman</HI> Monarchy &s;hall be de&s;troyed, which is the la&s;t
of the Kingdome or Monarchies; this is to be done at the &s;ounding of the &s;e|venth
trumpet, <HI>Rev.</HI> 7. 15. when all Nations and Kingdoms &s;hall become
Chri&s;ts: But mark how inqui&s;itive <HI>Daniel</HI> is, when he comes to the <HI>Roman</HI>
Monarchy, <HI>Dan.</HI> 7. 9. he would fain know the truth of this Bea&s;t and of the
ten Horns, and of the other (mark that) which came up after the ten Horns,
before whom three fell; even of that Horn that had eyes, and a mouth that
&s;pake great things, who&s;e look was more &s;tout then his fellow, <HI>v. 20. I beheld
<PB N="13" REF="11">
and the &s;ame horn made warre with the Saints and prevatled again&s;t them:</HI> Here is
the Bea&s;t that &s;laies the Witne&s;&s;es, for 'tis one that ri&s;eth in the end of the
<HI>Roman</HI> Monarchy; <HI>Quando r<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">gnum Romanorum e&s;t di&s;truendum,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Hierome,
Fabritius Paulutius, Hugo Cardinalis, Theadoretus</HI> and <HI>Hector Pintus,</HI> with others;
and he &s;hall throw down three of the ten Kingdoms &s;ubject to <HI>Rome;</HI> he &s;hall
throw down three Kings, that is, (&s;aith <HI>Viega) tres reges pur&egrave; profitentes evan|gelium.</HI>
three Kings purely profe&s;&s;ing the Go&s;pel. But <HI>Theodoretus</HI> puts this
que&s;tion, <HI>Quomodo tres &s;uperiores <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">odem tempore humiliabit,</HI> how will he throw
down three Kings at one time? Certainly we of this age can give the be&s;t
an&s;wer to his que&s;tion, for thus, he &s;hall cut off, <HI>Regem trium Regnorum, &amp;
ita tres Reges in una per&s;ona humiliabit;</HI> or thus, by pulling down at once the three
E&s;tates of King, Lords and Commons, who make the &s;upream Power of the
Nation, where he u&s;urps this Power; but this que&s;tion is needle&s;&s;e, and
therefore we pa&s;&s;e it by. The main thing we intend to prove by <HI>Daniel</HI> is,
That this Bea&s;t is he that &s;laies the Witne&s;&s;es, and the &s;ame with that in <HI>Rev.</HI>
11. 7. becau&s;e he is of the &s;ame time, for that in <HI>Daniel</HI> ri&s;eth when the <HI>Ro|man</HI>
Monarchy is going to de&s;truction; and that in <HI>Rev.</HI> 11. 7. ari&s;eth when
the raign of Antichri&s;t is drawing to an end, which Antichri&s;t is the la&s;t
head of the Roman Monarchy the Pope: as this bea&s;t is of the &s;ame time, &s;o
he doth the &s;ame things with that in <HI>Rev.</HI> 11. 7. for there he makes war with
the Saints, prevails again&s;t them and &s;layes them: and in <HI>Dan.</HI> 7. 24. this
other little horn that ri&s;eth after the ten Kings belonging to the Roman Mo|narchy,
this little horn that is an up&s;tart ba&s;e fellow (&s;ay the Fathers) a
man of no repute among&s;t the Kings of the earth, &s;hall &s;ubdue three Kings&punc;
this horn mu&s;t nece&s;&s;arily be &s;ome new up&s;tart fellow, who ri&s;eth in the we&s;tern
Empire, di&s;tinct from other Kings; this horn &s;hall &s;peak great words again&s;t
God, and &s;hall wear out the Saints of the mo&s;t high, and think to change
times and Laws. The&s;e words need no comment, &s;ince the times we live in are
a &s;ufficient comment on them: and they &s;hall be given into his hands, un|till
a time and times and the dividing of times, that is, three years and a
half &s;ay all Interpreters; which is ju&s;t that &s;pace of time in which the
Bea&s;t that &s;tarteth up out of the bottomle&s;&s;e pit, domineers over the &s;lain bo|dies
of the Witne&s;&s;es, &s;o that the&s;e places do but explain one another, and both
&s;et forth one and the &s;ame Government, and bloudy enemy.</P>
<P>But this that makes it mo&s;t cleer of all other, is that which immediatly fol|lows
the horns raign, an exerci&s;e of Tyranny over the Saints, <HI>Dan.</HI> 7. 26, 27,
the Judgement &s;hall &s;it, and they &s;hall take away his dominion, to con&s;ume
and de&s;troy it unto the end, and the Kingdom and dominion, and greatne&s;&s;e
of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven, &s;hall be given to the people of the
Saints of the mo&s;t high; here begins the glorious day after the horns tyran|nicall
government and dominion is de&s;troyed: this an&s;wers to <HI>Rev.</HI> 11. 13.
where the men of name are de&s;troyed, and then as in <HI>Daniel,</HI> the Saints po&s;|&s;e&s;&s;e
the Kingdom under the whole Heaven. So the &s;eaventh trumpet &s;o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">nds,
and all the Kingdoms in the world become the Lords and his Chri&s;ts, that is,
they all &s;ubmit to his &s;cepter and become Chri&s;tians, bating their old pro|fane&s;&s;e:
&s;o that here in both places you have cleerly di&s;covered the Bea&s;t that
&s;layeth the Witne&s;&s;es, and the time when, together with the length of his
raign, and what immediatly follows.</P>
<P><HI>Note.</HI> Ob&s;erve al&s;o whence this Bea&s;t ari&s;eth, 'tis out of the bottomle&s;&s;e
<PB N="14" REF="12">
pit: this bottomle&s;&s;e pit is Independencie, I will prove it can be nothing el&s;e.
<HI>Aleazar</HI> and many other learned men do not take bottomle&s;&s;e pit to be
meant hell, but &s;ome &s;ay it is meant confu&s;ion, and others the &s;ea, but
I affirm that 'tis meant Independencie, in <HI>Rev.</HI> 9. 1. When the fifth An|gel
&s;ounded, there fell a Starre from Heaven, that is, a Bi&s;hop from the
true Church, to the earth, from a Pa&s;tor to become a Prince, from Eccle&s;i|a&s;tick
affairs to Civil &s;tate affairs, and to him was given the key of the bot|tomle&s;&s;e
pit. The Pope was the fir&s;t that unlocked the door of Independencie:
Mark it, and it will appear that Independencie is the <HI>formilis ratio Antichristi;</HI>
for untill the Pope of <HI>Rome</HI> got to be Independent in re&s;pect of the
Emperour his Lord and Sover<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">ign, and Independent as relating to the
Councels, he was not Antichri&s;t, but herein in his exalting him&s;elf by In|dependencie
above all Magi&s;tracy, which is called God in Scripture, in making
him&s;elf Independent, he made him&s;elf Antichri&s;t; for reduce the Pope but to
his due obedience to the Roman Emperour who&s;e power he u&s;urps, and
to Coun&s;els to bring him under their cen&s;ure, and the Pope will be re|duced
to his primitive in&s;titution, that is, to an hone&s;t plain Pa&s;tor, which
is all his due, and all that the primitive Bi&s;hops of <HI>Rome</HI> were. The Pope
had the key of Independencie, for by making the Dukes of <HI>Italy</HI> free
States <HI>(i.e.)</HI> Independent as to the Emperor; he &s;hut the Emperor
out of <HI>Italy</HI> his proper dominion, and thus as he continues Independent he
continues Antichri&s;t; who &s;itting in the &s;eat of God, exalts him&s;elf above
God, for he &s;aith he is Independent as to the holy Scriptures, and that the
Scripture is dependent upon him, and herein he exalts him&s;elf above God: by
this power of Independencie, the Pope let into the world all manner of igno|rance,
here&s;ie and profane&s;&s;e: by the Power of Independencie the Pope drove a
godly Magi&s;tracy and Mini&s;try into the wilderne&s;&s;e for 1260 years: and now
by this la&s;t bea&s;t ri&s;ing out of Independencie and &s;etting up Indepencie, I &s;ay
by that Independent bea&s;t, the Witne&s;&s;es, the Magi&s;tracy and Mini&s;try that
had fini&s;hed their te&s;timony, that is, had fini&s;hed their Directory, cleared and
vindicated their Doctrines, and had agreed to ca&s;t out Independencie and Po|pery
out of the three Kingdoms, even then, when they had fini&s;hed their te&s;ti|mony,
this bea&s;t breaks them in peeces by making war again&s;t them, and kil|ling
them; thus you have the Witne&s;&s;es &s;laying, and the Bea&s;t that &s;layes them
immediatly before the glorious day of Reformation in the world.</P>
<P>A further de&s;cription you have of this Bea&s;t, by his Government that he
&s;ets up, in <HI>Heb.</HI> 13. 11, 12, and 18. and in <HI>Dan.</HI> 11. 36, 37, 38.</P>
<P>You have heard already when he ri&s;eth, 'tis in the end of the Roman Mo|narchy,
when the 1260 years, of the Popes raign draws towards an end; and
you have heard out of what this Bea&s;t that &s;layes the Witne&s;&s;es ari&s;eth, 'tis out
of Independencie; for mark it, as Antichri&s;t the Pope aro&s;e by the key of In|dependencie,
out of the pure&s;t Church <HI>(viz)</HI> the Roman Church, and drove
the Witne&s;&s;es (which undoubtedly are the Magi&s;tracy and Mini&s;try) into the
wilderne&s;&s;e, &s;o this Bea&s;t ri&s;eth out of Independencie, ri&s;ing out of the bowels
of the pure&s;t reformed we&s;tern Church, and &s;lay the&s;e Witne&s;&s;es who had fi|ni&s;hed
their te&s;timony again&s;t Antichri&s;t: the nature of Independencie a|mong&s;t
men is to de&s;troy Magi&s;tracy and Mini&s;try.</P>
<P>But that you may know this Bea&s;t more di&s;t&s;tinctly, <HI>Rev.</HI> 13. 11, 12, 18.
<PB N="15" REF="12">
&s;ets forth his actings again&s;t the Church: ob&s;erve how like the expre&s;&s;ions o<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 letter">
<HI>Daniel</HI> and <HI>John</HI> are in the di&s;covering of this Bea&s;t and his actings, in <HI>Rev.</HI> 13.
11. I beheld another Bea&s;t ri&s;ing up out of the earth; he is called another,
becau&s;e di&s;tinct from the Bea&s;t of the &s;ea, <HI>ver.</HI> 1. &s;o &s;aith Bi&s;hop <HI>Cowper:</HI> and
then out of the earth, to &s;hew al&s;o that he is not the &s;ame with the Bea&s;t of
the &s;ea, as &s;ome would have it. <HI>Cottherus</HI> &s;peaks plain truth again&s;t all his op|po&s;ers;
this Bea&s;t of the earth (&s;aith he) is <HI>Rex octavus, &amp; incipit quando
prima be&s;tia de&s;tinet, &amp; incipit cum bestia a&s;cendit ex aby&s;&s;o,</HI> he is the eighth
King (meaning that <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">ev. 17.)</HI> and begins when the fir&s;t Bea&s;t (the Bea&s;t of
the Sea) goeth out, and he begins when the Bea&s;t ari&s;eth out of the bottom|le&s;&s;e
pit, <HI>Rev.</HI> 11. 7. So that he under&s;tands by the Bea&s;t of the earth, the eighth
King, <HI>(Rev. 17. 11.)</HI> and the Bea&s;t ari&s;ing out of the bottomle&s;&s;e pit one and
the &s;ame bea&s;t, only the one text &s;ets out his ri&s;ing, the other his raigning,
and the other his ruin: Fir&s;t, He ari&s;eth out of the earth; which notes to us
that he is a Lay man, for earth is here put as contradi&s;tinct to &s;ea; to note, that
as he that drives the Witne&s;&s;es into &s;ackcloth ri&s;eth out of the Clergy in
the Roman Church, (for <HI>Rev.</HI> 13. 1. he u&s;urpt the throne with &s;eaven
heads and ten horns, that is the Roman Emperiall &s;eate,) &s;o the bea&s;t that
&s;lay the Witne&s;&s;es (though he ri&s;e by Independency as the Pope did) yet he
&s;hall be a Lay man, no Clergy man, but a Layick. Secondly, Or by earth
may be meant (as oft it is in Scripture) a mean and low condition; to
note, that this <HI>terrae filius</HI> that &s;layes the Witne&s;&s;es, &s;hall be a fellow of low
di&s;cent: This well agrees with <HI>Daniels</HI> expre&s;&s;ion of the &s;ame Bea&s;t, <HI>Dan.</HI> 7. 8.
he calls him a little horn, <HI>Cornu parvulum quia in principio nullius momenti repu|tabitur
in occulis Regum terrae,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Hugo Cardinalis,</HI> he is a little horn, becau&s;e
in his beginning he &s;hall be of no e&s;teem or repute among&s;t the Kings of the
earth; he &s;hall not ari&s;e out of any Kingly &s;tock, but out of &s;ome ob&s;cure,
private, broken family: This Bea&s;t of the Earth is therefore called <HI>Dan.</HI> 11. 21.
a vilde Fellow, I confe&s;&s;e this more immediatly belongs (as &s;ay interpreters)
to the tran&s;actions of affairs in the end of the Macedonian Empire, but <HI>Th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">|odoretus</HI>
imboldens me, who&s;e opinion is that the likene&s;&s;e of things acted in
the end of the Macedonian Empire (immediatly before the coming of Chri&s;t)
to the things to be acted in the end of the Roman Monarchy (before the great
day of Chri&s;ts coming to convert Jews and Gentiles) made <HI>Daniel</HI> to compre|hend
both under one expre&s;&s;ion: this is very probable, for (as the Rabbins
&s;ay) an Iota of Scripture hath a mountain of &s;en&s;e depending on it; mark
therefore how in the end of the Roman Monarchy, <HI>Dan.</HI> 11. 21. a vile fellow
&s;hall &s;tand up, he is an up&s;tart, an u&s;urper, he &s;hall not have the honour of the
Kingdom given him, but he &s;hall come in peaceably, and obtain the Kingdom
by flattery. Mark how he gets to his Kingdom, not by open force, but
by pretences of peace to &s;ettle the Kingdom in peace; this Party mu&s;t be
disbanded, and the other Party thru&s;t out of the Kingdom, and another Party
mu&s;t be &s;upplanted, and all under pretence of Peace; the King mu&s;t be taken
off, and the Nobles degraded, and the Commons &s;ecluded, and all for the
&s;ettling of peace; his motto is <HI>Pax quaeritur bello,</HI> I have read it in his Stan|dart,
all his pretences are peace and re&s;toring the Free-born people to their
Liberties. Two things di&s;cover him clearly; Fir&s;t he &s;ucceeds in the room
of a King which is de&s;troyed, neither in wroth, nor battel, <HI>v.</HI> 20. how then,
<PB N="16" REF="13">
if neither by wroth nor battel, then certainly he mu&s;t be de&s;troyed by a de|liberate
act of pretended Ju&s;tice again&s;t him, and &s;o de&s;troyed by cutting off
his head as a malefactor. Now that King &s;o de&s;troyed, this vile fellow mu&s;t
&s;ucceed. Nay <HI>v.</HI> 22. he &s;hall proceed to overthrow the Prince of the Covenant:
Now we &s;ee how it hath &s;ucceeded with the Covenant-keeping Party at the
&s;tern of government. The like Paraphra&s;e may run in the following ver&s;es, &s;et|ting
out this bea&s;ts de&s;ignes again&s;t the King of the South; but I will not be
too bold, &s;ince the times are comments on the&s;e texts: let this be &s;ufficient to
make us know, that the Bea&s;t of the earth, and the little horn, and this vile
fellow, are none and the &s;ame Bea&s;t, even he that &s;layes the Witne&s;&s;es; and his
two horns, and his Dragons tongue, are but to &s;et forth his hypocriticall pre|tences;
as the Serpents tongue beguiled <HI>Eve,</HI> &s;o this fellow beguiles innocent
per&s;ons to their ruin. His two horns &s;ignifie his power, his Army, they are like
Lambs horns: <HI>Rev.</HI> 13. 12. 'tis not &s;aid, the horns of the Lamb, but horns like a
Lamb, that is harmle&s;&s;e: he pretends that his Army &s;hall lay down Arms
when&s;oever the Parliament will command them; they are Con&s;cientious
men, who profe&s;&s;e its again&s;t their Principles to fight, but to &s;uffer for their
Religion: This Bea&s;ts Army are all innocent Doves, and harmle&s;&s;e Lambs,
all Saints, per&s;ecuted Saints for&s;ooth, that count all men bitter-&s;pirited men
that beleeve not every word they &s;ay; but he hath the tongue of a Dragon:
It alludes to the Serpent in Paradice that deceived <HI>Eve,</HI> and &s;o overthrew <HI>Adam</HI>
the only Monarch of the world. So doth this Bea&s;t with his Lambs horns,
through his lying, cheating, &s;wearing, for&s;wearing, and cheating of effeminate
&s;illy people, overthrow the only true Chri&s;tian Monarch in the world; (I
wi&s;h it be not proved, that they have had a hand in <HI>Adams</HI> ruin, through the
&s;ubtilty of Je&s;uits tho&s;e Chri&s;tian-State Serpents:) therefore this horn is &s;aid
to have, <HI>Dan.</HI> 7. 8. the eyes of a man, that is, aboundance of humane policy,
&s;aith <HI>Theodoret,</HI> and much di&s;&s;imulation, &s;aith <HI>Maldonatus:</HI> and then he &s;peaks
like the Dragon, that's another note of this bea&s;t; like unto which you have
that <HI>Dan.</HI> 7. 8. he hath a mouth &s;peaking great things: ob&s;erve, this bea&s;t hath
not the Teeth, nor the Tayl, nor the Sting, but the Tongue of the Dragon;
&s;o that <HI>Fabritius Hectors</HI> comment on tho&s;e words, &s;eemeth to me very good
<HI>Os loquens injentia</HI> (i.e.) <HI>eloquens, Superbus, malledicus; jactabundus, fallax &amp;
mirax &amp; divinitatem &s;ibi arogat,</HI> he is eloquent, proud, an evil &s;peaker, full
of boa&s;ting, a deceitfull fellow, and a threatner, and he arrogates divinity to
him&s;elf, this is &s;omething near the matter, for he akes upon him to preach
divinity, this puts me in minde of their interpretations, who by the Bea&s;t of
the earth under&s;tand the earthly power of Antichri&s;ts Preachers which &s;hall be
exc<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">eding numerous towards the later end of the world, when <HI>Enoch</HI> and <HI>Elias</HI>
are by them to be &s;lain; by <HI>Enoch</HI> and <HI>Elias</HI> they mean the two Witne&s;&s;es;
this is the opinion of <HI>Haymo,</HI> the ordinary Glo&s;&s;e, <HI>Viega, Rodolphus, Richardus,
Beda, Ausburtus, Panno<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">ius, Rupertus,</HI> and others: it is very much, for the&s;e
Authors &s;o long ago to foretell us, that in the&s;e dayes we &s;hould have an army
of Preachers ri&s;e up and &s;lay the Witne&s;&s;es. I am &s;orry that I mu&s;t be &s;o tedi|ous,
but I cannot let pa&s;&s;e the words of <HI>Petrus Bullingerus</HI> upon the two horns of
the Bea&s;t of the earth, <HI>Scripturas in hypoc<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">i&s;in gerunt, faciunt&abque; faciunt ex ejus Cornua
be&s;tiae dum adulterant verbum Dei &amp; non ni&s;i ad confirmanda Satanae mendatiae illis
<PB N="17" REF="13">
utantne,</HI> they profe&s;&s;e the Scriptures (&s;aith he) in hypocri&s;ie, and
out of it they make horns for the Bea&s;t, while they adulterate the
word of God, and make no u&s;e at all of the Scriptures, but only to
confirm the lies of Satan in an ancient manu&s;cript (which I found in
<HI>Bibliotheca Bodliana)</HI> I found this pa&s;&s;age in it, &s;peaking of the Horns
of the Bea&s;t (&s;aith he) he hath two Horns, either to note that he
pretends to be the defender of the two Te&s;taments, or that he
would &s;eem to be the protector of the Go&s;pel-Church among&s;t
the Gentiles, and the great friend to the <HI>Jews:</HI> this he pretends to
in the &s;ight of the world, &s;aid <HI>Sybill<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter"> frandulentia, Enoch et Elias
preditet;</HI> but under that deceit he &s;hall &s;lay the Witne&s;&s;es: believe
it the&s;e pa&s;&s;ages are not to be &s;leighted; for my own part, when I
con&s;ider the times we live in, and &s;ee how exactly the ancient wri|ters
words are fulfilled, I rather count them Prophets then
D<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">eamers.</P>
<P>Now becau&s;e we will (if po&s;&s;ible) inforce the Dr. to &s;ee his
mi&s;takes, we will yet make out this Bea&s;t more clearly by his Horns:
take but that of <HI>E Lapide &amp; Jo&s;ephus A Co&s;ta. C. E Lapide</HI> &s;aith,
that <HI>Cornu <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">ignum erat Regni,</HI> &s;o that belike the&s;e two Horns, mu&s;t
be two Kingdoms that this Bea&s;t &s;hall wear: <HI>Jo&s;ephus Aco&s;ta (l. 2.
de novi&s;&s;imis Temporibus Cap 17.)</HI> thinks that the&s;e two Horns
&s;ignifie Epi&s;copal dignity, which is the Miter that Bi&s;hops wore:
which Miter hath two parts like two Horns upon the Head, <HI>crit
ergo qui&s;piam Apo&s;tata, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">t &s;imulator religionis eccle&s;iae, honoris proditor,</HI>
that the&s;e two <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">uites may not fall together by the eares, wee'le
reconcile them: would <HI>Cornelius E Lapide</HI> have this Bea&s;ts two
Horns, two Kingdoms? wee'le grant it: would <HI>Jo&s;ephus A Co&s;ta</HI>
have it a Myter like to Horns? wee'le grant that al&s;o: <HI>England</HI> and
<HI>Ireland</HI> are the two Kingdoms, that the Bea&s;t hath gotten by his
policy and power; take the <HI>Harp</HI> and the <HI>Cro&s;&s;e</HI> as they are now
joyned by the Bea&s;t that hath joyned them, and put them on his
head, they make a perfect Miter: and thus I have reconciled the&s;e
two learned Je&s;uites, which I hope none will judge but that 'tis a
work of charity in real truth. Oh! but that Bea&s;t in <HI>Daniel</HI>
&s;ubdueth three Kings; how then hath he but two horns? <HI>Sol.</HI> he
&s;hall cut off the King of three Kingdoms, and in that &s;ence he &s;hall
pluck up three Kings in one per&s;on, or he &s;hall defeat the power
and forces of three Kingdoms, he &s;hall cau&s;e them to fall and fly
before him; but the third Kingdom he &s;hall never &s;ubdue to his
<PB N="18" REF="14">
obedience, he may wear the Cro&s;&s;e and the Harp in his Miter; but
he &s;hall never wear the Lion; for in that Kingdom he &s;hall come
to his ruine, as anon we &s;hall &s;hew. I now pa&s;&s;e on to make a fur|ther
de&s;cription of this Bea&s;t, as the Holy gho&s;t &s;ets him forth: we
&s;hall proceed, v. 12. And he did all that the fir&s;t Bea&s;t could do be|fore
him, and he cau&s;ed the earth and them that dwell therein to
wor&s;hip the fir&s;t Bea&s;t, who&s;e deadly wound was healed. I think
the Text may be better tran&s;lated into <HI>Engli&s;h,</HI> I am &s;ure nearer to
the <HI>Greek</HI> Copy, and he did all the power of the fir&s;t Bea&s;t in his
pre&s;ence, &s;o reads <HI>Pagnine, Montanus, Biblia Fanen&s;is, Sixtus Quin<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">us,
Lyra.</HI> This ver&s;e &s;ets forth the manner how he got to his greatne&s;s,
which is de&s;cribed by his acting, and the end of his acting: in the
end you have the manner of his acting, in the other the effect of
<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">is acting; in the Text there are two [fir&s;t Bea&s;ts] and both di|&s;tinct
and different from each other, though few interpreters have
di&s;cerned it: the former fir&s;t Bea&s;t he makes his example or pat|tern,
by which he proceeds and acts, the latter fir&s;t Be<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t he makes
the pattern of his end.</P>
<P>Ob&s;erve how the Holy Gho&s;t differeth the&s;e&punc; the fir&s;t Bea&s;t is
that which acted immediately before him, and that mu&s;t nece&s;&s;ari|ly
be the Bea&s;t of the Sea; for that Bea&s;t is immediately before him
in the &s;ame 13. Chapter, ver&s;e 21. This is none other but the
<HI>Pope:</HI> now he doth all that the fir&s;t Bea&s;t could do in the &s;ight of
him, that is, in the pre&s;ence or &s;ight, or with the approbation of the
<HI>Pope,</HI> he exerci&s;eth his power. Now what power hath the <HI>Pope?</HI>
&s;urely none at all; but what's u&s;urped, the <HI>Pope</HI> is called the fir&s;t
Bea&s;t, in regard of this la&s;t Bea&s;t of the earth: he is called the fir&s;t,
becau&s;e he is the fir&s;t great enemy of the Church, within the
Church: the Heathen Emperors were Rulers over the Church,
but they were without the Church; but the Pope is the great ty|rant
of the Church within the Church now profe&s;&s;ing Chri&s;t: he
was the fir&s;t that drove the witne&s;&s;es into the Wilderne&s;s, and
made them wear Sack&punc; cloth: now the la&s;t Bea&s;t that &s;layes the
witne&s;&s;es, which is the Bea&s;t we are here treating of, is he that gets
up into his power by exerci&s;ing the power of the fir&s;t Bea&s;t (that is)
the Pope: now it is well known, that the <HI>Popes</HI> exerci&s;e no power
but what is u&s;urped, they got their power by their di&s;&s;embling and
pretending Saint&s;hip, and advancing the intere&s;t of the Go&s;pel, and
all the Saints they got it by lying, perjury, Covenant-breaking, re|belling
<PB N="19" REF="14">
again&s;t their leige Ma&s;ter the Emperors, by throwing them
down, they got into their Thrones, which to this day they po&s;|&s;e&s;s:
now all this u&s;urped power doth this Bea&s;t of the earth ex|erci&s;e
in the &s;ight of the Pope, <HI>in con&s;pecta ejus ade&s;t, Antichri&s;to ad|juvante
et mandante,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Viega,</HI> that is <HI>Antichri&s;t</HI> (the Pope) help|ing
and commanding him to dethrone his &s;overaign Lord the King,
to &s;leight the Coun&s;el of the godly Mini&s;tery, and per&s;ecute them;
(for &s;uch power the Pope exerci&s;eth) to pretend godline&s;s and
Saint-&s;hip, and to write and &s;peak in the eares of all the world like
a Saint, and yet act in the &s;ight of all the world like a Devil: here|in
he follows the &s;teps of his predece&s;&s;ors the Popes: the Pope by
independency gets his u&s;urped greatne&s;s, and this Bea&s;t by inde|pendency
gets to his u&s;urped greatne&s;s: he makes the <HI>Popes</HI> for|mer
devili&s;h &s;tratagems which exalted them, engins to exalt him|&s;elf.</P>
<P>And he cau&s;eth the earth and them that dwell therein, to wor|&s;hip
the fir&s;t Bea&s;t, who&s;e deadly wound was healed, here is his
end, 'tis to &s;ubject the people of the earth to the fir&s;t Bea&s;t, who&s;e
de<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">dly wound was healed in ver&s;e 3. The <HI>Cae&s;arian</HI> head was
wounded, the <HI>Pope</HI> healed this wound, as to the recovering of the
<HI>Roman</HI> pomp and State. Now <HI>Cae&s;ar</HI> was the fir&s;t Bea&s;t in re&s;pect
of the <HI>Popes,</HI> who &s;ucceeded the Emperor; and the Pope is al&s;o the
fir&s;t, in relation to the Bea&s;t of the earth, who &s;ucceeds him, and
in relation to the precedent matter, which altogether treated of
the fir&s;t Bea&s;t that &s;hould ri&s;e within the Church, to make the An|tichri&s;t
which were <HI>Popes,</HI> now the&s;e words [who&s;e deadly wound
was healed] clearly di&s;tingui&s;h this Bea&s;t from the <HI>Popes,</HI> for
they were never &s;ince their ri&s;ing wounded with a deadly wound;
but 'tis known, that the <HI>Goths</HI> and <HI>Vandalls</HI> gave a deadly wound
to the <HI>Cae&s;arian</HI> Government in <HI>Rome,</HI> which was made up and
healed by the <HI>Popes.</HI></P>
<P>So that the Government that this Bea&s;t of the earth &s;ets up and
makes people &s;ubmit unto, 'tis the Government of <HI>Cae&s;ars:</HI> now
in a word, the Government of <HI>Caezar</HI> was by the power of his
&s;word, he again&s;t the votes of the Senat of <HI>Rome,</HI> advanceth with
his Army to <HI>Rome,</HI> pulls down all the grave and hone&s;t-hearted
Senators, and only &s;ets up his own packt party in the Senate, which
being done, by his Conque&s;ts he enlargeth their territories, and
they inlarge his honour: at la&s;t he makes him&s;elf &s;ole Emperor,
<PB N="20" REF="15">
and they his Subjects to act and vote what he commanded them;
thence <HI>Rome</HI> became that &s;eat of the Bea&s;t, having ten
horns; for &s;o <HI>Alcazer</HI> &s;eems to under&s;tand ten horns to be <HI>Polyar|chiam
Senatorum:</HI> &s;o another &s;aith of the Senate of <HI>Rome, tot erant
reges quot Senatores:</HI> and po&s;&s;ibly the ten horns crowned under
the <HI>Pope,</HI> may be meant the <HI>Conclave,</HI> tho&s;e <HI>infulati my&s;tae,</HI> tho&s;e
crowned Cardinals, who make up the Government to drive the
wi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">ne&s;&s;es into the Wildernes, as this la&s;t bea&s;t and his ten horns,
(that is) his packt party of Senators, who give one vote with the
Bea&s;t <HI>(Rev. 17.)</HI> in the &s;laying of the witne&s;&s;es, this gives us a clear
in&s;ight into that hard Text <HI>Rev.</HI> 17. 8. of the Bea&s;t that was and is
not, and yet is: this Text clears it, that he is the eight, becau&s;e he
is one di&s;tinct from the <HI>Pope,</HI> and yet he is of the &s;even, becau&s;e
he doth what he doth in the &s;ight of the <HI>Pope.</HI> with his good like|ing.
The <HI>Pope,</HI> (all men know) maketh the 7. head of <HI>Rome</HI> di&s;tinct
from the other Governments, and this eight Bea&s;t is one of the
&s;even, becau&s;e he beats up the woman with &s;even h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">ads, and ten
horns, <HI>Rev.</HI> 17. 7. had not the bea&s;t of the earth &s;lain the witne&s;&s;es,
the witne&s;&s;es would have de&s;troyed the woman, they had re&s;olved
to &s;aw off three of her horns, <HI>England, Scotland</HI> and <HI>Ireland;</HI> but
when the witne&s;&s;es were agreed to root out Popery&punc; and to e&s;ta|bli&s;h
the Pro<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">e&s;tant Religion, then up &s;tarts the Bea&s;t of the earth,
(this Bea&s;t here men<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">ioned) and &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">ayes the witne&s;&s;es: therefore
<HI>John</HI> in his vi&s;ion <HI>(Rev.</HI> 17. 2. when the Angel comes to &s;hew him
the damnation of the whore) &s;aw this Bea&s;t that bears the woman,
well may he have the title of upholding <HI>Rome,</HI> by &s;laying the wit|ne&s;&s;es;
for otherwi&s;e <HI>Rome</HI> by the witne&s;&s;es had been &s;haken. I
have not <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 word"> enough to vindicate this 17. Chapter from the
fal&s;e glo&s;&s;es put upon it, it &s;hall be the work of a longer day; only
I hint this by the way, that this Bea&s;t is he that was (that is, as <HI>Ju|nius</HI>
&s;aith) in the <HI>Cae&s;arian</HI> head, and is not [that is] in the &s;ame
Family 'tis not; but yet is, that is in the &s;ame Government, for
the likene&s;s and for the kind it is the &s;ame Governnest and the
qualities of the Bea&s;t are &s;uch: this very Bea&s;t <HI>Daniel</HI> de&s;cribes af|ter
the &s;elf-&s;ame manner, <HI>Dan.</HI> 11. 36. 37. 38. And the King &s;hall
do according to his will, and he &s;hall exalt him&s;elf and magnifie
him&s;elf above every God, and &s;hall &s;peak marvelous things again&s;t
the God of Gods, and &s;hall pro&s;per until the indignation be ac|compli&s;hed,
<PB N="21" REF="15">
for that that is determined &s;hall be done.</P>
<P>Neither &s;hall he regard the God of his Fathers, nor the de&s;ire
of women, nor regard any God, for he &s;hall magnifie him&s;elf a|bove
all.</P>
<P>But in his e&s;tate he &s;hall honour the God of forces, and a God
whom his Fathers knew not &s;hall he honour, with gold and &s;ilver,
and precious &s;tones, and plea&s;ant things.</P>
<P>This King <HI>Hierome</HI> conceives is <HI>Antichri&s;t:</HI> this King as <HI>Cothi|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">s</HI>
on <HI>Rev.</HI> 1. 3. calls him the eighth (there mentioned in <HI>Rev.</HI> 17.
becau&s;e he is the la&s;t great enemy of the Church, which by &s;laying
the witne&s;&s;es, bears up <HI>Rome,</HI> which &s;tands tottering in the 7.
head the Pontificality:) &s;o he is called by <HI>Hierom, Dan.</HI> 7. 8. the
eleventh King, becau&s;e he is the la&s;t u<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;tart u&s;urper which erects
a new Government among&s;t the ten <HI>European</HI> Kingdoms,
formerly belonging to the Roman Empire, &s;o that by the
Fathers confe&s;&s;ion, this King mu&s;t not ari&s;e until the end
of the <HI>Roman</HI> Monarchy: now 'tis concluded by all learned men,
that the <HI>Roman</HI> Monarchy is now near its end, and what little horn
that is which is now &s;tarted up, and hath pulled down <HI>tres Reges
Chri&s;tum pur&egrave; profitentes,</HI> (for &s;o <HI>Viega</HI> &s;aith he mu&s;t do) I give all
this world leave to judge, that are &s;ound in the principles of this
pre&s;ent Religion; it is well known that only <HI>England, Scotland,</HI>
and <HI>Ireland,</HI> were the three Kingdoms in the world, that of late
profe&s;&s;ed the principles of the Prote&s;tant Religion purely&punc; and that
is to profe&s;s Chri&s;t purely: <HI>Ireland</HI> might ju&s;tly whiles it was &s;ub|jected
to the <HI>Engli&s;h,</HI> be called one of the three Kingdoms&punc; purely
profe&s;&s;ing the Go&s;pel though &s;ince it may ju&s;tly be called <HI>Egypt,</HI>
for that bloudy cruelty to the true Church: now who it is that
hath u&s;urped the&s;e three, by di&s;troying the lawful King of the
three Kingdoms every Child can tell: Ob&s;erve but <HI>Bright m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">ns</HI>
Comment upon this Text, he calls this King <HI>Antichri&s;t, Hi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">r<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">m</HI> calls
him <HI>Antichri&s;t,</HI> and &s;o do many of the Fathers indeed. <HI>Brightman</HI>
applies it to the <HI>Pope,</HI> but I &s;ee no rea&s;on for it; I do not deny
but that the <HI>Popedom<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> is that &s;tate under which the Church &s;hall
be afflicted 1260 years; but it is que&s;tionable whether the <HI>Pope|dom</HI>
be the <HI>Antichri&s;t</HI> exclu&s;ively, I do acknowledge that it is that
<HI>Antichri&s;tian</HI> &s;tate out of which <HI>Antichri&s;t</HI> &s;hall ari&s;e; but I hu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">|bly
conceive (yet not I alone, but all the Fathers) that the man <HI>An|tichri&s;t</HI>
is he that &s;layes the witne&s;&s;es&punc; I do not deny but that the
<PB N="22" REF="16">
<HI>Pontifick</HI> &s;tate &s;ince it got the Key of independency, is that man of
&s;in &s;poken of 2<HI>The&s;.</HI> 2. 4. who oppo&s;eth him&s;elf to all that is called
God. The likene&s;s of the expre&s;&s;ion here in <HI>Daniel</HI> and this,
made <HI>Brightman</HI> conclude that it was the <HI>Pope;</HI> but it is no
wonder if the Holy Gho&s;t u&s;e like expre&s;&s;ions, to &s;et forth the
Bea&s;t of the earth (which all the Fathers and mo&s;t of the Papi&s;ts
call <HI>Antichri&s;t)</HI> becau&s;e there is a neer, relation betwixt the
<HI>Pope</HI> and him: the <HI>Pope</HI> made the Keys of the bottomles pit, and
this Bea&s;t of the earth, <HI>Rev.</HI> 11. 7. comes out of the bottomlespit,
the <HI>Pope</HI> is the 7. head of <HI>Rome,</HI> and this is of the &s;even; he doth
all that the <HI>Pope</HI> did before him: the <HI>Pope</HI> ro&s;e by ly|ing,
cheating, for&s;wearing, rebelling again&s;t his Soveraign, depo|&s;ing
of him, and &s;itting in his &s;eat, tolerating bla&s;phemies, and &s;et|ting
up Hereticks upon de&s;ign, yet profe&s;&s;ing much holine&s;s and
Saint-&s;hip&punc; and &s;o doth the Bea&s;t of the earth; he treads in the
path of <HI>Roman</HI> policy, doing the &s;ame things in the pre&s;ence, or
with the good liking of the <HI>Pope.</HI> The <HI>Pope</HI> &s;et up a &s;trange Go|vernment
in <HI>Rome,</HI> and &s;o doth this Bea&s;t of the earth in the King|doms
that he threw down, his u&s;urpation is &s;et out by his magni|fying
him&s;elf above all Gods, that is, Magi&s;trates; the &s;trange
Government he &s;hall &s;et up is the God <HI>Mauzzim,</HI> that is, the Go|vernment
of force, the &s;word-Government, &s;uch a Government
as his Fathers never heard of; he &s;hall honour it with gold and
&s;ilver, that is, he &s;hall make his Officers rich, and his packt party
he &s;hall make them rule over many: his word &s;hall give them
power to write as the <HI>Popes</HI> did, <HI>volumus, et mandamus,</HI> we enact
and be it enacted; and the next thing they &s;hall do is to divide the
Land for gain, yes, that's it! We have a large co~ment upon this Text
already written in large Characters, upon the Kingdoms burthened
back; &s;o that by this you &s;ee how the Holy Gho&s;t agrees, [both
in <HI>Daniel</HI> and <HI>Revel.]</HI> in the de&s;cribing of this Bea&s;t by his Go|vernment
In <HI>Revel.</HI> 13. he &s;ets up a Government of his own forcing
by his &s;word, and in <HI>Daniel</HI> he &s;ets up the God <HI>Mauzzim,</HI> which is
the Government of force. If any &s;hould doubt whether the Bea&s;t
in the <HI>Revelations,</HI> and this in <HI>Daniel,</HI> which we have &s;o often
quoted, be one and the &s;ame, I prove it thus; if <HI>Daniel</HI> agree with
the <HI>Revelation,</HI> and the <HI>Revelation</HI> with <HI>Daniel</HI> in the identity of
time, of action, of rule, and ruine of the Bea&s;t, then mo&s;t probable
that <HI>Daniels</HI> little horn and <HI>Johns</HI> Bea&s;t of the earth, are one and
<PB N="23" REF="16">
the &s;ame; but the time of the Bea&s;t in both, is one and the &s;ame:
for that in <HI>Daniel</HI> ri&s;eth in the end of the <HI>Roman</HI> Monarchy, and
that in <HI>Rev.</HI> 7. ri&s;eth when the witne&s;&s;es have fini&s;hed their Te&s;ti|mony,
that is at or near the end of the 1260 years raign of the
Bea&s;t of the Sea, <HI>Rev.</HI> 13. after which immediately <HI>John</HI> &s;aw the
Bea&s;t of the earth ari&s;e, and her actions are the &s;ame in <HI>Dan.</HI> and
<HI>Revel.</HI> for in <HI>Dan.</HI> 25. he wears out the Saints of the mo&s;t high,
and thinks to change times and Lawes, and <HI>Rev. 1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">.</HI> 7. he &s;hall
make warre with the witne&s;&s;es, overcome them and &s;lay them, and
in <HI>Rev.</HI> 13. 10. 11. when he that led captivity is to go into captivi|ty,
then the faith and patience of the Saint is tryed, then their
two &s;uffering graces &s;hall be eminently exerci&s;ed, and then v. 11.
&s;hall the other Bea&s;t, the Bea&s;t ri&s;ing out of the earth appear, this
Bea&s;t is he that exerci&s;eth their faith and patience; whiles he
raigns the Saints &s;hall have little el&s;e to live upon; his Govern|ment
al&s;o is the &s;ame; for in <HI>Dan.</HI> 11. 38. he &s;ets up the
God <HI>Mauzim,</HI> the &s;word-power, and in <HI>Revel.</HI> 13. 12. he infor|ceth
people to &s;ubject to the fir&s;t Bea&s;t, who&s;e deadly wound was
healed, that is, to a packt party of Rebels to the Common-wealth&punc;
&s;uch as the Senate of <HI>Rome</HI> was, when <HI>Cae&s;ar</HI> forced away all the
hone&s;t men out of the Senate, and &s;et up his own party to govern,
this was upheld by the &s;word, and &s;et up by the &s;word: he is al|&s;o
the &s;ame in the matter of duration, for that in <HI>Dan.</HI> 7. 25. con|tinues
a time, times, and the dividing of time; and this in <HI>Rev.</HI> 11.
ri&s;eth and triumphs over the &s;lain witne&s;&s;es, three dayes and a
half, which is both one time, both making three years and a
half.</P>
<P>La&s;tly, He is the &s;ame both in <HI>Daniel</HI> and <HI>Revelation,</HI> in his ru|ine,
and in the time of his ruine. The time of this Bea&s;ts ruine is
&s;et-forth in <HI>Dan</HI> 7. 11. the Bea&s;t was &s;lain, and his body was de|&s;troyed:
this the Fathers call the 11. King, becau&s;e he is divers
from any of the Kings that were before him under the we&s;tern Em|pire,
he being the la&s;t, and this was at that time (v. 13.) when the
Son of man came in the Clouds of Heaven, and v. 14. there was
given him dominion and glory, and a Kingdom, that all People,
Nations and Languages might &s;erve him: the&s;e phra&s;es we &s;hall
&s;ee Chri&s;t borrows in <HI>Mat. 24. 30. 3<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">.</HI> immediately after tho&s;e
dayes, what dayes? the dayes of tribulation, how? ver&s;e 24.
<PB N="24" REF="17">
there &s;hall be fal&s;e Chri&s;ts and fal&s;e Prophets, and &s;hall &s;hew great
wonders, &s;ee <HI>Rev.</HI> 19. 20. the fal&s;e Prophet was taken that wrought
miracles before the Bea&s;t. Mark how <HI>Matthew</HI> goeth on, in&s;omuch
that (if it were po&s;&s;ible) they &s;hall deceive the very Elect. In <HI>Rev.</HI>
13. 13. and he did great wonders, &s;o that he made fire come down
from Heaven on the earth. By the &s;ignes which were permitted
him to do in the &s;ight of the Bea&s;t, who doth not &s;ee that the&s;e
expre&s;&s;ions are all to &s;et out this one Bea&s;t? Immediately after
the&s;e dayes of tribulation, which are dayes of bla&s;phemy, and he|re&s;ie,
and &s;eparation from the true Church (v. 30.) ye &s;hall &s;ee the
Son of Man coming in the Clouds with power and great glory: and
(v. 31.) he &s;hall &s;end his Angels with the &s;ound of a great Trum|pet,
and gather the Elect (tho&s;e that belong unto the election of
grace, from one end of Heaven to the other: this is the &s;ame with
that forecited place in <HI>Rev.</HI> 11. great voyces in Heaven, &s;aying, the
Kingdoms of the world are our Lord, and his Chri&s;ts, and when
was this? this was when the witne&s;&s;es were ri&s;en, and &s;tood upon
their leggs, v. 11. &amp; v. 13. near that hour when the great Earth|quake
is; which time of &s;haking Heaven and Earth, is foretold in
<HI>Luke</HI> 31. 24. immediately after the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled:
now the time of the Gentiles is 42. moneths, <HI>Rev.</HI> 11. 2. which is ac|cording
to the Doctors account 1260. years, which being up, then
the &s;ignes in the Sun, and in the Moon, and in the Starres, that
is, the <HI>Antichri&s;tian</HI> &s;tate &s;hall be &s;haken down, and then the Son
of Man &s;hall appear in the Clouds with glory and great power, and
then the elect redemption draweth nigh: the great voices, <HI>Matth.</HI>
24. 31. allude to Chri&s;ts pa&s;&s;ion, when he yielded up the Gho&s;t, he
cryed with a loud voice, it is fini&s;hed, and after three dayes he a|ro&s;e,
and called his Di&s;ciples to a mount in <HI>Gal<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">lee,</HI> where he ap|peared
to them, and proclaimed all power in Heaven and in Earth,
was given to him, and then the Di&s;ciples were made Apo&s;tles; &s;uch
are the effects of the ri&s;ing of the Witne&s;&s;es: Oh, how do I
adore the infinite wi&s;dom of the Holy Gho&s;t in the
Scriptures! how clear might this truth be made to the weake&s;t
capacity, were there but a worthy pen about it! The time of the
bea&s;ts reign is expre&s;&s;ed in <HI>D<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="2 letters">.</HI> 7. 22. to be when the ancient of
dayes come (<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">) when the Kingdom becomes the Lords, <HI>Rev.</HI> 11. 15.
and the Saints po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed the Kingdom, that is, the witne&s;&s;es &s;tand
<PB N="25" REF="17">
upon their feet, <HI>Rev.</HI> 11. 11. 12. and they <HI>(i.e.)</HI> the godly Ma|gi&s;tracy
and Mini&s;try did a&s;cend up to heaven, that is, they po&s;|&s;e&s;s
that place of dignity from which they were ca&s;t, it cannot
be otherwi&s;e under&s;tood in <HI>Dan.</HI> 7. for v. 25. the Saints of the mo&s;t
high are they that he tyrannizeth over three years and a half: &s;o he
doth in <HI>Rev.</HI> 11. 7. 9. which Saints of the mo&s;t high are the Ma|gi&s;tracy
and Mini&s;try, the two witne&s;&s;es principally meant.</P>
<P>There is one notable place more in <HI>Dan.</HI> 12. 45. which points at
time and the place of the ruine of the Bea&s;t. This Bea&s;t of the
earth or this King, (as <HI>Daniel</HI> calls him) &s;hall plant the Taber|nacles
of his pallace, between the Seas in the glorious holy Moun|tains,
yet he &s;hall come to his end, and none &s;hall help him: this
holy Mountain, learned men on all &s;ides conclude, is &s;ome emi|nent
Kingdom for holine&s;s: therefore the Independent Pulpit|men,
&s;ay, 'tis <HI>England,</HI> this day eminent in exalting the Saints and
holine&s;s; certainly, 'tis that Kingdom which hath kept its Gar|ments
clean from &s;piritual fornication, and hath not received the
marks of the Bea&s;t, nor bowed down to his Image, that is, engaged
to be true and faithful to his unlawful new Government. And of
all the Kingdoms in the world, I think it is <HI>Scotland,</HI> where the Bea&s;t
of the earth hath placed his Tabernacles, where he now is, &amp; where
I believe he &s;hall come to ruine. But mark what imediately follows
this, <HI>Dan.</HI> 12. 1. And at that time &s;hall <HI>Michael</HI> and <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> &s;tand up,
and it &s;hall be a time of trouble, as in <HI>Mat.</HI> 24. and <HI>Luke</HI> 21. And
at that time the elect &s;hal be all delivered, that is as much to &s;ay, as
all the Kingdoms in the world &s;hall become Chri&s;ts, both Jews
and Gentiles &s;hall be brought to Chri&s;t: this glorious day is in
&s;everal places called a day of Re&s;urrection, it &s;hall be to the Jews
as a day of Re&s;urrection: now all this is to be at the 7. Trumpet
&s;ounding; and therefore the ruine of <HI>Daniels</HI> Bea&s;t and <HI>Johns</HI> Bea&s;t
are at one and the &s;ame time; and therefore 'tis but one and the
&s;ame Bea&s;t that they both mention. As for tho&s;e that affirm this
Bea&s;t is <HI>Antiochus,</HI> who raigned in the time of the <HI>Grecian Monar|chy,</HI>
&amp; was de&s;troyed before the <HI>Roman Monarchy</HI> was in being:
it is &s;o wide from the Text, that 'tis impo&s;&s;ible to be true; for
this little horn ari&s;eth not only after the <HI>Grecian</HI> Monarchy, but
after the <HI>Roman</HI> Monarchy became ten horned: he ri&s;eth the la&s;t
di&s;tinct from them all; and therefore I will &s;ay to &s;uch men, as <HI>A|quinas</HI>
<PB N="26" REF="18">
&s;aith to <HI>Porferrius</HI> upon the &s;ame text, holding the &s;ame
opinion, <HI>haec interpretatio tam fatua e&s;t, ut re&s;pon&s;ionem non me|reatur.</HI></P>
<P>So that you have the time of ri&s;ing, the time of continuance, the
actions, and the ruine of the Bea&s;t, to be one and the &s;ame both in
<HI>Daniel</HI> and the <HI>Revelation.</HI> But that we may not be mi&s;taken in
this bea&s;t of the earth, take a more exact view of this bea&s;t, as the
Holy Gho&s;t de&s;cribes him in <HI>Rev.</HI> 13. 13. And he doth great won|ders,
for that he made fire come down from Heaven on the earth,
in the &s;ight of men, and deceived them that dwell on the earth, by
the &s;igns which were permitted him to do in the &s;ight of the bea&s;t,
&s;aying to them that dwell on the earth, that they &s;hould make an
Image of the bea&s;t which had the wound in the head, and did live.
And he did great wonders, 'tis in the original, <GAP DESC="foreign">,
great &s;ignes. Upon the &s;ame occa&s;ion, Chri&s;t u&s;eth the &s;ame
words, &s;etting out the parties that &s;hall do the&s;e &s;ignes, <HI>Mat.</HI> 24.
24. There &s;hall ari&s;e fal&s;e Prie&s;ts and fal&s;e Prophets, <GAP DESC="foreign">,
and &s;hall give out great &s;ignes, the&s;e &s;ignes &s;hall be held
forth to the world immediately before the ruine of the <HI>Roman</HI> Mo|narchy,
v. 29. and the calling of the <HI>Jews.</HI> v. 30. 31. and making
all the Nations in the world &s;ubmit and come into the Go&s;pel.</P>
<P>To this Text directly an&s;wers that in <HI>Rev.</HI> 19. 20. there the fal&s;e
Prophet is taken <GAP DESC="foreign">, which wrought mira|cles
in the pre&s;ence of the other bea&s;t, whereby he deceived them
that received the mark of the bea&s;t: this clearly demon&s;trates, that
it is the &s;ame bea&s;t in <HI>Rev.</HI> 13. 14. for there he deceiveth the people;
and to that the Holy Gho&s;t alludes, <HI>Rev.</HI> 19. 20. I will intreat the
Reader to ob&s;erve, how this bea&s;t of the earth gets to his power, in
v. 11. of chap. 18. 'tis by the horns of a Lambe, and by the tongue
of a Dragon. What more innocent then a Lambs horns? and what
more fair and &s;mooth, and deceitful then a Dragons tongue? Ob|&s;erve
this, that the two la&s;t enemies of the Go&s;pel Church, &s;hall a|ri&s;e
out of the pure&s;t Churches: <HI>Rome</HI> was the pure&s;t Church in
the world, it had the famou&s;e&s;t Magi&s;tracy and Mini&s;try in the
world; yet in that Church &s;tarts up an Independent Government
among&s;t the Churchmen, which is called the Pope-dom, and &s;trips
both the Magi&s;tracy and Mini&s;try of its glory: this is called <HI>Rev.</HI>
11. the Sack-cloth condition of the two witne&s;&s;es: &s;o that out of
<PB N="27" REF="18">
that pure Church aro&s;e the great enemy that drove the wi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">ne&s;&s;es
into the wilderne&s;s: and now when the Pope-dom is ready to fall,
and the witne&s;&s;es have fini&s;hed their te&s;timony (that is) re&s;olved to
ca&s;t off Independency &amp; Prelacy, which in its exorbitancy is nothing
el&s;e but Independency: then up-&s;tarts this bea&s;t of the earth, who
ari&s;eth out of the pure&s;t Church, and out of the pure&s;t part of the
Church; he is one that profe&s;&s;eth piety beyond all others, one
that holds all the principles of Religion to be true, that cries out
again&s;t <HI>Antichri&s;t</HI> more then any. As the Popes by pretending the
advancement of Chri&s;t, and <HI>Peters</HI> chair, advanced them&s;elves to
that exce&s;&s;ive pride and tyranny over Church &amp; State: &s;o doth the
bea&s;t of the earth by his pious pre<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">ences of &s;etting up Chri&s;t, ad|vance
his own wicked de&s;igns, and &s;layes the witne&s;&s;es. As the bea&s;t
of the Sea aro&s;e out of the Church, where the famou&s;e&s;t witne&s;&s;es,
<HI>viz.</HI> Magi&s;tracy and Mini&s;try were, and drove them into Sack-cloth
and into the wilderne&s;s, that is, into &s;ome remote Kingdom in <HI>Eu|rope,</HI>
where they remain 1260. years: &s;o mu&s;t the bea&s;t of the earth
in this wilderne&s;s, ari&s;e among&s;t the witne&s;&s;es where they are fini&s;h|ing
their te&s;timony, and there he mu&s;t kill them: therefore when
<HI>John</HI> comes to &s;ee the judgement of the whore, he was carried into
the wilderne&s;s, <HI>(i.e.)</HI> that remote Countrey, whither the wit|ne&s;&s;es
by the bea&s;t of the Sea were driven, <HI>Rev.</HI> 11. 3. But this place
only in the world is <HI>England;</HI> for here only a lawful Magi&s;tracy
and Mini&s;try hath for 1200. years been vi&s;ible in Sack-cloth: &s;o
that you mu&s;t expect this la&s;t enemy of the Church to be more
cunning, cruel, and &s;ubtil to deceive, then any that ever were be|fore
him; for he hath all the politick tricks of <HI>Rome,</HI> he doth all
that the fir&s;t bea&s;t could do before him, did the <HI>Pope</HI> fall from his
fir&s;t principles, &s;o doth he, did the <HI>Pope</HI> depo&s;e and murther, and
rebel agoin&s;t his liege Ma&s;ter the Emperor? &s;o doth he again&s;t his
Soveraign; did the <HI>Pope</HI> per&s;ecute the Mini&s;ters that would not
comply with his de&s;igns? &s;o doth this bea&s;t. Did the <HI>Pope</HI> impu|dently
and ridiculou&s;ly profe&s;s to the world, that all his Rebelli|on,
murthering of Emperors and Kings, and depo&s;ing of them,
was for the promotion of the Go&s;pel, and the good of the Church?
even &s;o doth this bea&s;t. So that he doth all that the fir&s;t bea&s;t could
do before him, yea and more too; for he doth greater wonders,
he maketh fire to come down from Heaven on the earth, in the
<PB N="28" REF="19">
&s;ight of men: this is one of his great &s;ignes whereby he deceives
people. Ob&s;erve this, his pretences and de&s;igns are on purpo&s;e to
deceive the people, and he deceives the people mearly to &s;et up his
new Government, he &s;ets it up by his doing wonders: this is an e|minent
Character of a cheater, and the <HI>Antichri&s;t</HI> to prove his ho|ne&s;ty
by his &s;ignes and wonders. That power is an u&s;urped power,
that hath no other title then &s;ignes and wonders to maintain it.
'Tis an <HI>Antichri&s;tian</HI> power the Holy Gho&s;t tells us: for <HI>Anti|chri&s;t</HI>
comes with lying wonders, 2<HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2. I omit to repeat the
&s;everal &s;trange opinions of both Prote&s;tants and Papi&s;ts,
upon the&s;e words, [and he maketh fire come down
from Heaven] neither &s;hall. I &s;hew the difference in the Copies;
becau&s;e I po&s;&s;ibly may do that hereafter. At this time I
&s;hall only deliver the &s;ounde&s;t and mo&s;t cleare&s;t opinions.
<HI>Brocard</HI> comes neare&s;t the mark of any <HI>Engli&s;hman;</HI> for he con|ceives,
it alludes to 2 <HI>Kings</HI> 1. 10. where <HI>Elias</HI> proved him&s;elf to
be a man of God, by cau&s;ing fire to come down, and con&s;ume
tho&s;e that came again&s;t him: his allu&s;ion is good, had he rightly
applyed it; for this bea&s;t of the earth pretends to be by his good
&s;ucce&s;s, as prevalent with God, to de&s;troy tho&s;e that were again&s;t
him, as <HI>Elias</HI> was. But <HI>Cornelius, &egrave; lapide</HI> comes nearer the mark:
for he conceives this expre&s;&s;ion of fire coming from heaven, alludes
to that in the 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 7. 1. where <HI>Solomon</HI> &s;acrificed in the &s;ight
of all the people (after he had made his publick prayer, in the
&s;ight of all the people) had by fire coming down from heaven up|on
his &s;acrifice, an unque&s;tionable evidence of Gods accept|ance
of his prayers. This allu&s;ion is al&s;o good: for this bea&s;t of the
earth, pretends to be the only man to build Gods hou&s;e; and for
that end makes a glorious profe&s;&s;ion, and proclaims Fa&s;ts, where|in
(as if indued with <HI>Solomons</HI> &s;pirit, he makes publick prayers unto
God to ble&s;&s;e him in his undertakings for him, and his cau&s;e: after
which he proceeds to act the highe&s;t murther, trea&s;on and rebelli|on;
and &s;ucceeding well in it, he c<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">yes out to the people, behold
providence, behold a return of prayers; we fa&s;ted ye&s;terday and
to day, we have had &s;ucce&s;s, this is the fire which comes down;
but ob&s;erve it, 'tis in the original, <GAP DESC="foreign">, be made fire.
Ob&s;erve that, 'tis fire of his own making: he plotted the de&s;ign,
and then fa&s;ted, he conveies the fire under his own &s;acrifice, 'tis
<PB N="29" REF="19">
fal&s;e fires that he makes. I conceive, it alludes to that in 1 <HI>Kings</HI>
18. 36. 38. where <HI>Elias</HI> that eminent Servant of God, proved
him&s;elf to be a true Prophet, and all the re&s;t to be but Baalls Pro|phets,
by the fire which God &s;ent from Heaven on the earth in
the &s;ight of men: &s;o doth this Bea&s;t of the earth endeavour by his
&s;ignes to prove him&s;elf as prevalent with God as <HI>Elias,</HI> and as
true &s;incere a wor&s;hipper of God as <HI>Elias,</HI> and all that oppo&s;e him,
or cro&s;&s;e his de&s;igns, to be put Baalls Prie&s;ts: and thus he proves
it, I fa&s;t &s;aith he, and my enemies fa&s;t: they fa&s;t to pre&s;erve the an|cient
Government, I fa&s;t to throwe it down, after I have fa&s;ted I
prevail; but though my enemies fa&s;t, God hears them not: they
have no fire comes near their &s;acrifice, though they cry and weep
day and night; but &s;o &s;oone as I fa&s;t, the things I fa&s;t for is pre|&s;ently
accompli&s;hed; and this his &s;ucce&s;s in this audacious villainy,
murther, &amp; rebellion again&s;t Gods Law, natures Law, and his own
&s;olemn Vows and Covenants, he makes the &s;illy people believe is
the return of his prayers, the fire of Gods &s;ending from heaven
upon his &s;acrifice. This notes, that this Bea&s;t in his &s;laying of the
witne&s;&s;es, &s;hall pretend to act eminently for Chri&s;t, and make the
world believe he is an eminent Saint, and that all the godly faith|ful
Mini&s;ters are but <HI>Baalls</HI> Prie&s;ts, (as they are now termed) to
him. But ob&s;erve the next ver&s;e, v. 14. And be deceived them that
dwell on the earth: he for all his &s;ignes is but a cheater, therefore
he is called, <HI>Rev.</HI> 19. 20. the fal&s;e Prophet. He pretends to be &s;uch
as <HI>Elias,</HI> who was a true Prophet; but he is a fal&s;e Prophet, and
only cheats the people: therefore <HI>Mat.</HI> 24. 24. he is &s;aid with
his company of &s;educers like him&s;elf, to &s;educe, if it were po&s;ible,
the very Elect; and for this end, he cheats them, to &s;ubmit to his
Government, which he hath &s;et up by the power of his &s;word,
that's the meaning of the&s;e words (&s;aying to them that dwell on
the earth, that they &s;hould make an Image of the Bea&s;t which was
wounded with the &s;word and did live.) This is the end of all his
pretences and pious acts, it is to &s;ubject the people to that Go|vernment
which he &s;ets up: he fa&s;ts and prayes, and humbles him|&s;elf;
but 'tis to cheat the people, and all this he doth in the &s;ight
of the Bea&s;t, (that is) the Pope, for there is no other bea&s;t in be|ing
but the Pope, that the Holy Gho&s;t intends: now to do it in
the &s;ight of the Bea&s;t, (&s;aith the <HI>Roman</HI> Glo&s;&s;ary) is to do it with
<PB N="30" REF="20">
the bea&s;ts good liking; &s;o that what he doth the Pope approves
of, and likes well of. Indeed I believe the Pope will never frown
at the beheading of a Prote&s;tant King, and blowing up of a Pro|te&s;tant
Parliament, who re&s;olved and were agreed to unhor&s;e his
<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;urped holine&s;s power in the three Kingdoms. The Pope cannot
but look on with great content, yea, and triumph in this year of
<HI>Jubilee,</HI> which falls out according to the Prophe&s;ie, <HI>Rev.</HI> 11. 10.
when they give thanks for the removing of the witne&s;&s;es, it &s;hall
be a year of rejoycing with the enemy, to &s;ee a King and Parlia|ment
utterly broken, who covenanted to break <HI>Rome;</HI> and to &s;ee an
A&s;&s;embly of Divines battered and broken, and their labor in a re|formation
utterly fru&s;trated, this cannot but rejoyce the Pope and
his Conclave. What? To have that accompli&s;hed now, which <HI>Dig|by,
Faux, Catesby, Winter,</HI> and <HI>Garnet,</HI> and all tho&s;e Gunpowder-Saints
could never accompli&s;h, to have it now accompli&s;hed by his
new canonized Saints? This cannot but be well liking to the
Pope. V. 15. And it was given to him, to give life to
the Image of the bea&s;t, that the Image of the bea&s;t,
&s;hould &s;peak, and &s;hould cau&s;e, that who&s;oever would not
adore the Image of the bea&s;t, &s;hould be &s;lain. This Image of the
bea&s;t hath allu&s;ion either to that Image which <HI>Nebuchadnezer</HI> &s;et
up in the plain of <HI>Dura,</HI> enjoyning all men upon pain of death to
fall down and wor&s;hip it; which the con&s;ciencious godly Jews re|fu&s;ing,
great and extraordinary provi&s;ion was made for their de|&s;truction:
but when the Souldiers had bound the three con&s;cienci|ous
Saints, and all the great men of the times came to &s;ee their de|&s;truction,
behold, they that threw them into the fire were de|&s;troyed,
and the poor Saints &s;tood upon their feet, Chri&s;t appears
among&s;t them in the Furnace, forthwith they are relea&s;ed; and
immediately after, all the Kingdoms in the world are made to
know, that the per&s;ecuted Saints God is the true God by &s;ound
of Trumpet: &s;o &s;hall <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 word"> be with the Saints in this bea&s;ts Raign, he
that will not adore this bea&s;ts Image, that is, &s;ubject to his Go|vernment,
&s;ub&s;cribe to be true and faithful to his u&s;urped and un|lawful
Government, &s;hall be killed, or in a civil &s;ence, he &s;hall
be out-lawed, and made incapable of bearing Office in Church or
State. <HI>Nebuchadnezers</HI> Image was 60. Cubits high, and 6. Cubits
broad, a high Image; but the number of this bea&s;t who &s;ets up
this Image, is 666. he is exceeding in cruelty and wickedne&s;s; all
<PB N="31" REF="20">
the enemies of the Church that went before him, at lea&s;t 600.
times. Or el&s;e, [Image] alludes to that in <HI>Dan.</HI> 11. 38. where the
King there is &s;aid to honour the God <HI>Mauzzim,</HI> that is, a &s;word-power.
And this Image here is the &s;ame: for 'tis a &s;word-power,
&s;uch as <HI>Ce&s;ar</HI> erected by the &s;word, and &s;upported by the &s;word,
until he had compleated his Conque&s;ts. There in <HI>Daniel</HI> he makes
his God <HI>Mauzzim</HI> to rule over many, and here in the <HI>Revelation</HI>
he cau&s;eth, that as many as will not &s;ubmit to this Image of the
bea&s;t, &s;hould be killed: I conceive that the&s;e two Texts agree
with each other.</P>
<P>And it was given him. Ob&s;erve, this bea&s;t is one &s;ingle
per&s;on that &s;ets up this Image. I am very prone to believe, that
the Image that this bea&s;t &s;ets up, is that mentioned in <HI>Revel.</HI> 17.
12. And the ten horns which thou &s;awe&s;t, are ten Kings, which yet
have received no Kingdoms, but receive power as Kings one hour
with the bea&s;t. 'Tis ab&s;urd to &s;ay, the&s;e ten Kings are the ten
Kings under the <HI>Roman</HI> Emperor, which denominate <HI>Rome</HI> the
bea&s;t (as they &s;ay) with ten horns.</P>
<P>1. Becau&s;e the ten Kings &s;ubject to <HI>Rome,</HI> they were di&s;tinct
Kingdoms; but the&s;e ten here mentioned, have no Kingdoms, nor
any Crowns on their head.</P>
<P>2. Neither are they real Kings, they only have <GAP DESC="foreign">
power as Kings, they write, (we inact, and be it inacted) as if
they were Kings; but they are not really Kings.</P>
<P>3. The&s;e ri&s;e and reign with the bea&s;t, which bea&s;t cannot be
meant the <HI>Pope;</HI> for v. 1. the whore is the <HI>Pontifick</HI> &s;tate that &s;its on
many waters: this bea&s;t is called ver&s;e 33. the &s;carlet-coloured
bea&s;t; becau&s;e he &s;layes the witne&s;&s;es: he is as the heathen Em|perors,
red with blood; therefore they are called the red Dra|gon,
Chap. 12. 3. he is full of names of bla&s;phemy; becau&s;e he is the
tolerator and &s;upporter of bla&s;phemies: he hath &s;even heads and
ten hornes, becau&s;e he beares up <HI>Rome</HI> with 7. heads and 10. horns.
<HI>Rome</HI> had fallen by the hands of the witne&s;&s;es, had not he &s;laine
them v. 7. This bea&s;t bears up the woman with 7. heads and 10.
horns, v. 8. The bea&s;t is called, he that was and is not, and a&s;cend|eth
out of the bottomle&s;s pit: this can be no other but that bea&s;t
that &s;layes the witne&s;&s;es, <HI>Rev.</HI> 11. 7. This bea&s;t v. 11. is called the
eight, and of the &s;even: now this cannot be the <HI>Pope,</HI> unle&s;s wee'l
<PB N="32" REF="21">
make <HI>Rome</HI> have 8. heads, which is ridiculous, and by the learn|ed&s;t
irreconciliable, v. 12. The&s;e Kings receive power an hour with
the bea&s;t; if the&s;e 10. horns &s;hould be meant 10. Kings or King|doms,
&s;ubject to the <HI>Pope,</HI> 'tis known they had Kingdoms before
there was a <HI>Pope;</HI> but the&s;e ri&s;e with this bea&s;t, which is he that
&s;layes the witne&s;&s;es.</P>
<P>4. The&s;e 10. Kings have but one Dominion or Kingdom a|mong&s;t
them all: therefore v. 17. they are &s;aid to give <GAP DESC="foreign">,
their Kingdom: and how do they give it? the Text
&s;aith, <GAP DESC="foreign">, that is, they make one vote, the
former part of the ver&s;e tran&s;lated from the original runs thus;
<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">for God hath given to the hearts of them, that they fulfill the
&s;entence of him, and that they make one vote, and give their King|dom
to the be&s;t; &s;o that tis clear, the&s;e 10. Kings &s;it and vote to|gether
in one Kingdom: by which 'tis manife&s;t, that they are not
the 10. Kingdoms &s;ubject to the <HI>Roman</HI> Empire. But here we mu&s;t
be careful to avoid one mi&s;take, that is, not to take the&s;e 10. horns,
<HI>Rev.</HI> 17. 16. for the &s;ame per&s;ons v. 12. but only the &s;ame Office in
di&s;tinct parties hands: this is clear; for tho&s;e v. 12. ri&s;e and fall with
the bea&s;t; but tho&s;e v. 16. give their Kingdom to the bea&s;t: there|fore
they had a Kingdom before the bea&s;t was in being. 2. Tho&s;e in
v. 12. go to reign with the bea&s;t; but the&s;e v. 16. bring the Pontifi|cality
to ruine. Tho&s;e in v. 12. are that faction that the bea&s;t &s;ets
up as Kings: the&s;e are &s;aid to be ten; becau&s;e they are <HI>poliarchia
&s;enatorum</HI> (as <HI>Alcazar</HI> calls them) for 10. is but indefinitly, as 10.
Virgins, and 10. Husbands; for many Virgins, and many Hus|bands:
&s;o here 10. Kings, that is many men, exerci&s;ing the Autho|rity
of Kings, who have voted them&s;elves the &s;upreme power of the
Kingdom, <HI>hi decem Reges erunt tempore Antichri&s;ti, unde dicuntur
nondum accepi&s;&s;e pote&s;tatem,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Alcazar,</HI> the 10. Kings &s;hall be in
the time of <HI>Antichri&s;t,</HI> he means this bea&s;t of the earth: therefore
they are &s;aid not as yet to have received power, and they receive
power one hour <HI>(i. e.)</HI> a very &s;hort time) <HI>cum be&s;tia</HI> (&s;aith <HI>E. lapide)
quia be&s;tia primariam habet pote&s;tatem, Reges autem abea &s;unt &s;ecundi</HI>
becau&s;e the bea&s;t hath the chief power, but the Kings
have but a &s;ecundary power from them. The bea&s;t may
well have the primarypower; for by his &s;word-power they
were &s;et up, and upheld by it; &s;o that it is evident,
<PB N="33" REF="21">
who the bea&s;t is, and what the Image of the bea&s;t is: his giving
life to the Image is by putting Authority into their hands, to act
and inforce the people to &s;ubject to their Taxes, edicts, and Com|mands,
and to out-law every man that will not engage to be true
and faithful to them.</P>
<P>Thus the Reader may perceive who this bea&s;t is, and what kind
of Government he &s;ets up, and the tyranny and cruelty of this
bea&s;ts Government when 'tis &s;et up. Before it was &s;et up, they
pleaded nothing but liberty for tender Con&s;ciences, they &s;hewed
nothing but the horns of a Lambe, and the tongue of a Dragon,
&s;peaking &s;moothly, pleading for brotherly love, and tender bow|els
over the Saints, until they were got into the Throne, and then
nothing but trea&s;on and high trea&s;on, to be laid to their charge,
who &s;hould dare to que&s;tion any of their actions, or not &s;ubject to
their power &s;o as to &s;ub&s;cribe to be true and faithful to it: thus
you may perceive his Government in the form of it.</P>
<P>Now followes the Subjects of this new Government, v. 16. <HI>And
he made all, both &s;mall and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to re|ceive
a mark in their foreheads:</HI> &s;o the <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> and many <HI>Latine</HI>
Tran&s;lations read it. The Subjection is univer&s;al, 'tis a Catholique
tearme, as well as de&s;ign, all men of what rank or condition &s;oever,
mu&s;t &s;ubmit and &s;ubject.</P>
<P>Their manner of &s;ubjection is &s;et forth by giving a marke. I am
inforced here to vindicate the Text, not in the Copy, for I find no
difference worth troubling the Reader, in the <HI>Greek</HI> Copies, but
both the <HI>Latine</HI> and the <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> Tran&s;lations, I humbly conceive
may be corrected.</P>
<P>The vulgar <HI>Latine,</HI> the complutence reading, and others render
[<GAP DESC="foreign">] <HI>Habere</HI> and learned <HI>Beza</HI> (which I wonder at)
renders it, <HI>accipiant:</HI> as they give no rea&s;on, &s;o I &s;ee no rea&s;on why
it &s;hould &s;o be read, the <HI>Greek</HI> Copies reade it thus,
<GAP DESC="foreign">, to a word
it is read thus, <HI>That they &s;hould give a marke to them upon
their right hands, or upon their foreheads;</HI> &s;o the <HI>Siriack</HI> Interpre|ter
reads it, and <HI>Montanus.</HI> Now I conceive [<GAP DESC="foreign">,] which to a
word is read [upon] becau&s;e it properly &s;ignifies [<HI>&s;uper]</HI> or [in]
&s;hould be rendred in this place <HI>[cum]</HI> my Rea&s;ons are &s;criptural;
for [<GAP DESC="foreign"> in Scripture &s;ignifies <HI>(Revel. 7. 15.)</HI> [with] he that &s;it|teth
<PB N="34" REF="22">
on the Throne &s;hall dwell with them: There <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;igni|fies,
with: this is not only u&s;ual in the <HI>Greek</HI> Lan|guage,
but al&s;o in the <HI>Hebrew,</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Dru&s;ius)</HI> 'tis frequent to put
<GAP DESC="foreign">, which &s;ignifies <HI>&s;uper;</HI> for <GAP DESC="foreign">, which &s;ignifieth <HI>cum:</HI> &s;o that I
conceive the ver&s;e may well be tran&s;lated thus. <HI>And he cau&s;eth all,
both &s;mall and great, rich and poor, bond and free, that they give a
mark to them with their right hands, or with their forehead:</HI> &s;o that
this Text clearly holds out (as the former the kind of Govern|ment
erected) the kind of wor&s;hip and &s;ubjection that people &s;hall
be inforced to give to it. Other Kings make their Subjects &s;weare
allegiance to them; but this new Government makes men give a
marke with their right hand; that is, &s;ub&s;cribe to be true and faith|ful
to the Government: the right hand is the writing hand,
now with that they mu&s;t give a marke: the word is <GAP DESC="foreign">,
which as <HI>Pareus</HI> well ob&s;erves, &s;ignifies a mark or letter, which is
made in writing, whereby others may under&s;tand by reading of the
&s;ame, the intent of the writer.</P>
<P><HI>Obj.</HI> But how do they give the mark with the forehead?</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> By not only &s;ub&s;cribing to the Government, but by
pleading for it, and di&s;puting for it, preaching for it, and reading
Lectures upon it, and openly owning and applauding it: this is to
give the mark with the forehead, to the new Government of the
Bea&s;t.</P>
<P><HI>V.</HI> 17. And that no man might buy or &s;ell &s;ave, he that had the
marke or the name of the bea&s;t, or the number of the name. <HI>I find no
difference in the Copies, nor in the</HI> Latine <HI>Tran&s;lation for the
mo&s;t part.</HI></P>
<P>The times are a &s;ufficient Comment on this Text: this ver&s;e
&s;eems to me in the&s;e three Kingdoms to be a States Aphori&s;me, or
a principle, by which (to proceed) no man mu&s;t buy or &s;ell. In v. 17.
the precedent ver&s;e, there you find an Act made, that all men &s;hall
engage by way of &s;ub&s;cribing to the bea&s;ts Government: Here in
ver&s;e is the puni&s;hment, if he do not, he &s;hall be out-lawed, he
&s;hall neither buy nor &s;ell; it &s;ignifieth (&s;aith <HI>Bullinger) neminem &s;ub
Antichri&s;ti regno in tuto fore, ni&s;i qui opere et verbo abominabilem il|lius
Tyranidem approbaverit: eum enim vulgo dicimus tutum e&s;&s;e qui
emere aut vendere pote&s;t, ubicunque commodum illi fuerit; &s;ine quo
homines non po&s;&s;unt vivere,</HI> that no man &s;hall be &s;afe under <HI>Anti|chri&s;ts</HI>
<PB N="35" REF="22">
Kingdom; but he who in word and deed approves of his
abominable tyranny; for we commonly, &s;ay he is &s;afe who can buy
and &s;ell, where he can profit him&s;elf be&s;t, without which liberty
man cannot live; and yet this bea&s;t denyeth this liberty of the
Birth-right to tho&s;e, who will not &s;ubmit to him. <HI>Amb. Epi&s;copus</HI>
hath a notable glo&s;&s;e upon this Text: &s;o hath <HI>Haymo</HI> and <HI>Au&s;|bertus.
Tempore Antichri&s;ti</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Haym<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">) neminem vendere aut eme|re
bonorum praedicatorum, id e&s;t, liber&eacute; Chri&s;tum praedicare:</HI> and a|gain
he &s;aith, <HI>nec qui&s;quam eas merces cum quibus nunc fideles
Chri&s;ti charactere &s;ignati negotiantur, dare aut accipere po&s;&s;it, ni&s;i
qui Antichri&s;ti &s;igno &s;ignari cen&s;eatur, id e&s;t, perver&s;am illius teneat
fidem, et ob&s;caenas actiones imitetur.</HI> I thought he meant (at fir&s;t
view) that no man dur&s;t pay Tithes to the Mini&s;ter, nor the Mi|ni&s;ter
take any unle&s;s he &s;ub&s;cribe to their Government; if he had
&s;aid &s;o, he had hit the nayle; however he is near the matter;
for he conceives that this <HI>Antichri&s;t</HI> (meaning this ve|ry
bea&s;t we &s;peak of, who ju&s;tly de&s;erves the title of <HI>Antichri&s;t)</HI>
&s;hall &s;top the mouthes of the Mini&s;ters of the Go&s;pel, that Chri&s;ts
&s;piritual wares &s;hall not be bought and &s;old. But I conceive this
expre&s;&s;ion of not buying and &s;elling, is to expre&s;s the exce&s;&s;ive cru|elty
of the bea&s;t of the earth, again&s;t tho&s;e that will not &s;ubmit to
his new Government, as <HI>Nebucadnezers</HI> Furnace was heated 7.
times hotter for tho&s;e that would not bow down to his Image;
&s;o this bea&s;ts cruelty is &s;even-fold greater then ordinary, again&s;t
tho&s;e that wil not bow down to his Image, or to his Government&punc;
therefore when this bea&s;t appears. <HI>John</HI> u&s;hers him in with this
phra&s;e, <HI>Rev.</HI> 13. v. 10. here is the patience and the faith of the
Saints. And in chap. 14. &amp; 10. 11. 12. a place worth ob&s;erving,
becau&s;e mi&s;u&s;ed by mo&s;t Expo&s;itors. There the Mini&s;ters forewarn
the people not to bow down to &s;uch a Government, nor to own
the bea&s;ts authority, v. 10, 11. upon pain of damnation, v. 12.
here is the patience of the Saints: here are they that keep the
Commandements of God, and the faith of Je&s;us. The Holy Gho&s;t
&s;eemeth to bring in the words abruptly, to note, that when this
new Government of the bea&s;t comes upon the Stage, the pati|ence,
faith, and &s;incereity of the Saints will be &s;haken and tryed: the
bla&s;t of per&s;ecution that this bea&s;t rai&s;eth again&s;t the Saints will
be &s;uch, as will blow off the Periwigs of profe&s;&s;ion from Hypo|crites
<PB N="36" REF="23">
Bald-pates: you &s;hall know a &s;incere godly Saint by the
badge of per&s;ecution, by his patience under afflictions, and his
&s;teadfa&s;t faith which no per&s;ecution can once move, and by his &s;in|cerity,
and keeping Gods Commandements, keeping both Tables,
neither proving Rebel to God, nor to his lawful Magi&s;trate: Here
are they that keep the Commandements. But marke what follows,
v. 13. <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed are the Dead which die in the Lord:</HI> either 'tis meant
that they are ble&s;&s;ed that die in Chri&s;t, becau&s;e freed from the &s;ad
calamities of the&s;e times, or el&s;e they are ble&s;&s;ed that die for
Chri&s;t, and that cau&s;e of his which they maintain; and the rea&s;ons.
excellent: for they re&s;t from their labor in a Reformation; and
that Reformation which they toiled and laboured for, &s;o &s;oone as
they are gone, follows them: that covenanted Reformation imme|diately
followes the &s;lain witne&s;&s;es. For the next ver&s;e 14. <HI>Chri&s;t
appeares in a white Cloud,</HI> (the &s;ame with <HI>Mat.</HI> 24. 31. and <HI>Revel.
10. 1.)</HI> 'tis the effect of the 7th. Trumpet, after which the vine of
the earth is reaped, and the blood of him and his Company is &s;hed
in a dreadful manner: the &s;ame with <HI>Revel.</HI> 11. where 7000 men
of name are &s;lain, and the &s;ame with that 3. <HI>Habacuk</HI> 4. 5. 6. where
we find horns coming out of Chri&s;ts hands, that is, power in his
hands, he goeth forth with terrible judgements to mea&s;ure the
earth. But more of this anon. We &s;ee the time when this Image is
&s;et up, is the time of the witne&s;&s;es &s;laying, 'tis a time of mi&s;erable
per&s;ecution, which is &s;et out by not buying and &s;elling; a thing
that every man ought by the Law of nature to afford his Neigh|bour,
and is bound to perform to all men; but this
bea&s;t takes away the Saints maintenance, their Offices, their
dignities, their livelihoods, and their lives, he hangs
up whole Families, as it were in Gibbets: this bea&s;t as he
is the cunning&s;t, &s;o the cruelle&s;t to the poor Saints: therefore
&s;aith Chri&s;t, <HI>Mat. 24. except the&s;e dayes &s;hould be &s;hortned, no fle&s;h
[then] living &s;hould be &s;aved&punc;</HI> that is, with a temporal &s;alvation;
but that God for the Elects-&s;ake, which cry to him day and night,
will &s;horten the&s;e dayes. This bea&s;t would devour the fle&s;h of all
the Saints, for he &s;uffers none to buy or &s;ell, &s;ave he that had the
mark, or the name of the bea&s;t, or the number of his name. In v.
16. there they that &s;ubject give the marke; and in this ver&s;e they
mu&s;t have the mark, that is, a Certificate that they have &s;ub&s;cribed,
<PB N="37" REF="23">
or el&s;e he &s;hall have no audience in their Courts, nor egre&s;s and
regre&s;s at their Garri&s;ons, he &s;hall not pa&s;&s;e the Countrey from
City to City, without this Certificate: this marke mu&s;t be a &s;ub|&s;cription;
for how el&s;e can it be conceived, that they &s;hould give
the markes, and have the marke? I hope the Reader will pardon
me, if for brevity &s;ake I pick not up their Arrowes, which &s;hoot
wide at this mark. <HI>Viega,</HI> conceives, the marke, the name, and the
number of the name, are three di&s;tinct Characters of this
bea&s;t.</P>
<P>1. He thinks 'tis the frame of <HI>Antichri&s;ts</HI> Government to the
life. If <HI>Viega</HI> meane, in policy; I think he is right: for this bea&s;t is
like the <HI>Pope</HI> in his politick devili&s;h de&s;igns: hee'l lie and cheat, and
&s;upplant, and flatter, and for&s;wear, and murther, and yet pretend
fair like the <HI>Pope:</HI> therefore he doth all in the &s;ight of the <HI>Pope,</HI>
and <HI>Revel.</HI> 17 He is of the &s;even.</P>
<P>2. <HI>Viega</HI> conceives he hath a name written in plain Letters,
whereby he may be known. This I have much adoe to believe, yet
wee'l give the <HI>Je&s;uite</HI> fair play, and (if that will content him)
wee'l &s;hew him one who&s;e numeral letters in his name, conteine
the full mea&s;ure of time alotted him by the Holy Gho&s;t, which in
<HI>Dan.</HI> 7. 25. is three years and an half&punc; now that makes forty &amp; two
moneths, and 1260 dayes: &s;o many years is alotted to the <HI>Pope</HI> to
raign, as to this bea&s;t of the earth there is dayes alotted. The <HI>Pope</HI>
keeps the witne&s;&s;es in <HI>Sackcloth</HI> 1260 years, &amp; this bea&s;t &s;layes the
witne&s;&s;es, &amp; raigns 3. years &amp; a half, which makes 1260 dayes: this
bea&s;t ari&s;eth not until towards the end of the <HI>Popes</HI> raign, and then
up&s;tarts this <HI>Antichri&s;t</HI> this witne&s;s-&s;layer, and he raigns but &s;o
many dayes as the <HI>Pope</HI> raigns years, which is 1260 dayes, which
makes 3. years and an half: now in the numeral Letters of <HI>Olave|rus
Cr.</HI> you may find 1260. which if we begin to count from <HI>De|cember</HI>
1647. or thereabouts, when he &s;et up this Image his God
<HI>Mauzzim,</HI> his &s;word-power, his time of tyrannizing over the
Saints, will be up about <HI>June</HI> next 1651. for near about that time
his 42. moneths is out, about the evening of the day of 1651. this
pre&s;ent year by this account the afflicted Church is in great hopes
to &s;ee light. And oh that I had time but to &s;hew how many clear
old Te&s;tament prophe&s;ies there are, which give light unto this
matter; but I pa&s;&s;e this. <HI>Prima&s;ius</HI> and others, (as <HI>Hypolitus de
<PB N="38" REF="24">
con&s;ummatione &s;eculi)</HI> think the name and the Character of <HI>Anti|chri&s;t</HI>
to be <GAP DESC="foreign">, that is (&s;aith the Authour) <HI>nego Creatorem, ne|go
bapti&s;mum, nego adorationem &agrave; me Deo prae&s;tari &s;olitam:</HI> if this be
the Character of <HI>Antichri&s;t,</HI> we in <HI>England</HI> need not go far to look
for <HI>Antichri&s;t:</HI> if to deny God, and to deny Bapti&s;me, and to de|ny
the wor&s;hip of God and his Ordinances be <HI>Antichri&s;ts</HI> Cha|racter,
as doubtle&s;s 'tis, <HI>Perorius</HI> is of this opinion, <HI>Inter plura hoc
convenit fore in&s;igne Antichri&s;ti, nego bapti&s;mum, nego Je|&s;um.</HI></P>
<P>But above all, give me Mr. <HI>Thomas Goodwin,</HI> a <HI>Cambridge-man,</HI>
now head of a Colledge in <HI>Oxford,</HI> he &s;peaks in his Manu&s;cript
(which he &s;aid the times would not then bear, when he writ it)
upon the <HI>Revelation,</HI> chap. 13. v. 17. by number he under&s;tands,
a Company taking part with <HI>Antichrist</HI> in a more remote kind of
&s;ubjection: and then a little after that, he tells us, that the name of
this bea&s;t is to be found out in <HI>Europe,</HI> where the Company is that
powres out the Vials on the bea&s;t: and farther he &s;aith, that his
name is to be found among&s;t tho&s;e in the&s;e Kingdoms that receive
the name: by the number of his name he under&s;tands, &s;uch as do
hold and bring in &s;uch Doctrines and opinions, and practi&s;es in
wor&s;hip, or &s;hall reckon and account them Papi&s;ts in heart and af|fection,
and &s;o they are of the number of his name, that is, in ac|count:
&s;uch <HI>numerantur Papi&s;tae,</HI> they aim at <HI>Popery,</HI> and though
their profe&s;&s;ion deny it; yet when their actions and corruptions
in Doctrine and Wor&s;hip &s;hall &s;peak it in all mens Con&s;ciences, e|&s;pecially
all Orthodox reformed Prote&s;tants cannot but &s;o judge
their wayes and actions to be &s;uch as &s;peak to all mens hearts, the
<HI>Pope</HI> they only fear and wor&s;hip. Farther he &s;aith, they are tho&s;e
in <HI>Titus</HI> who deny God in their practi&s;es, they &s;hall profe&s;s the
<HI>Protestant</HI> Religion, and in their practi&s;es and under-hand-deal|ings,
and policies, depre&s;&s;ed it, and advance the <HI>Popi&s;h</HI> Religion
and party.</P>
<P>The&s;e are ju&s;tly to be accounted <HI>Papi&s;ts,</HI> and receive the marke
of his name: (did you ever reade &s;uch a bitter &s;pirited man again&s;t
the heads of the Common-wealth of <HI>England?)</HI> yet he proceeds:
It imports (&s;aith he) a &s;ecret cleaving to him, and &s;o to be of his
Company, and truly as tho&s;e that receive his name; but yet in|profe&s;&s;ion
go not &s;o farre as to take that name, or the open own|ing
<PB N="39" REF="24">
of him, yet really to do that which &s;hall cau&s;e all men &s;o to
reckon them; nor is this all (though this were enough to hang a
<HI>Presbyterian,</HI> if he &s;hould &s;o lay out the Common-wealths knave|ry)
but he proceeds, and tells, when the&s;e with the bea&s;ts number
&s;hall appear in the world. They are (&s;aith he) the la&s;t Champions
before the <HI>Popes</HI> fall: the Prophe&s;ie is of a Generation of men in
the la&s;t dayes who are lively &s;et out in 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3. 1. 10. &s;elf-lovers,
covetous, boa&s;ters, proud, bla&s;phemers, di&s;obedient to Parents, un|thankful,
unholy, without natural affection, Covenant-breakers,
fal&s;e accu&s;ers, incontinent, fierce, de&s;pi&s;ers of tho&s;e which are good,
Traytors, heady, high-minded, lovers of plea&s;ure more then lovers
of God, having a form of godline&s;s; but denying the power of it:
they are &s;uch as creep into Widowes hou&s;es, leading captive &s;il|ly
women. This their folly (&s;aith he) &s;hall appear to all men, and
being di&s;covered, it will be their ruine (Amen;) but yet they mu&s;t
proceed further, even to the &s;laying of the witne&s;&s;es in that King|dom,
which is the tenth part of the City: the&s;e are called the la&s;t,
becau&s;e they are the la&s;t Champions of the bea&s;t, and are &s;aid to be
overcome by the Witne&s;&s;es. All this (Reader) I a&s;&s;ure thee I have
from Mr. <HI>Thomas Goodwins</HI> Manu&s;cript: now whether he have not
&s;poken high trea&s;on according to the late Acts, I leave thee to
judge. Without all doubt he hath &s;poken truth, and that's a won|der
in this age; for though <HI>Independents</HI> may &s;ay any thing, yet
they &s;eldom &s;peak truth now adayes. But Mr. <HI>Goodwin</HI> may be
forgiven: for this truth of his, is an old truth, and old truths are
out of date: he wrote this above ten years agoe, as I am inform|ed,
and men change Religion and opinions, and principles, in ten
dayes now, and perhaps he is one of them; for 'tis incident to the
<HI>Goodwins,</HI> to walk the <HI>Antipodes</HI> to their own writings. By having
the name of the bea&s;t, I humbly conceive is to make an open pro|fe&s;&s;ion
of his Authority and Power, to profes to be one of his fol|lowers:
&s;o on the contrary, <HI>Revel.</HI> 14. 9. there the followers of
the Lamb had his Fathers name written on them that was their
marke, the number of his name.</P>
<P>There is a difference betwixt the name of the bea&s;t, and the bea&s;t it
&s;elf the people of the earth mea&s;ure: the bea&s;ts name, and there|fore
wonder at him; but they that have wi&s;dom number the bea&s;t
him&s;elf, and find him in every thing fall &s;hort of the true mea&s;uring
<PB N="40" REF="25">
Reed, and therefore reject him as an Hypocrite and u&s;urper. The
number of his name is put here in oppo&s;ition to the number of
the bea&s;t in the next ver&s;e. To have the number of his name is
to cry him up for a Saint by his good &s;ucce&s;s, and to honour him
for his pro&s;perity, as fooles do; but he that hath wi&s;dom num|bers
the bea&s;t, and mea&s;ures him by the word. If the bea&s;t be
numbred by his name he is a Saint, a de&s;troyer of <HI>Antichri&s;t,</HI> one
of Chri&s;ts In&s;truments to pull down all tho&s;e that &s;tand up again&s;t
his Kingdom: if you mea&s;ure his Army by their name, they are all
Saints, the holy ones, teachers and preachers, men indued with
&s;piritual gifts, and divine qualifications beyond any Mini&s;ter of the
Go&s;pel; this is their name, therefore they are called men of name,
<HI>(Revel. 11. 13.)</HI> which &s;hall be &s;lain at the ri&s;ing of the witne&s;&s;es,
they are cryed up for Saints, and admired by the world for their
&s;ucce&s;&s;es and Victories: they mea&s;ure only their name, and that
makes them cry up this bea&s;t for a Saint; but marke what the Ho|ly
Gho&s;t &s;aith, v. 18. Here is wi&s;dom: let him that hath under|&s;tanding
count the number of the bea&s;t. Here is wi&s;dom, this is a
phra&s;e not u&s;ed by way of exclamation (as <HI>Pareus</HI> would have it;)
but in oppo&s;ition to tho&s;e fooles and lack-wits, who mea&s;ure the
name of the bea&s;t, that is, look upon him as he hath rai&s;ed him&s;elf
into great wealth, and honour, and e&s;teeme in the world. Behold
(&s;ay they) his &s;ucce&s;&s;es, behold he is in po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of the three
Kingdoms, behold his fair promi&s;es, behold his victories over his
enemies, behold how God hath an&s;wered his appeales to heaven:
he no &s;ooner appeales to Heaven &s;ay they; but he hath miracu|lous
&s;ucce&s;s again&s;t his enemies: the Moon fights for him, and the
Heavens fight for him, and he by a &s;mall number di&s;comfits great
Ho&s;ts of men: and will any be &s;o wicked as to think this man and
his Army are not all Saints, and his cau&s;e the ju&s;t and the good
cau&s;e? whereas the&s;e men only mea&s;ure the bea&s;t by his name,
they count the number of his name; but tho&s;e that have wi&s;dom
count the number of the bea&s;t. Tho&s;e that have the fear of God,
which is true under&s;tanding, mea&s;ure not the name but the bea&s;t:
let him that hath under&s;tanding count the number of the bea&s;t.
<GAP DESC="foreign">, among&s;t humani&s;ts as well as Divines is put to &s;ignifie
mea&s;ure as well as number, the phra&s;e is borrowed from the Jews
Cu&s;toms, who in all things concerning the Temples &s;ervice pro|ceeded
<PB N="38" REF="25">
<HI>per</HI> number weight and mea&s;ure. Thus the uten&s;els of the
Tabernacle were numbred, weighed, and mea&s;ured by <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> and
tho&s;e of the Temple by <HI>Solomon,</HI> and the pure&s;t Go&s;pel-Church is
thus mea&s;ured, <HI>Revel.</HI> 22. number weight and mea&s;ure, was the
rule by which to know the truth of all things about Gods hou&s;e:
now of the&s;e the greate&s;t is number, that hath the precedency: they
all depend one upon another, he that numbereth rightly, mea&s;u|reth
rightly; and he that mea&s;ureth rightly weigheth rightly.
You may number without mea&s;uring or weighing, but you cannot
weigh or mea&s;ure without numbering: this differeth a foole from
a wi&s;e man, a foole can &s;tretch out a line, or fill an Ephah, or he
can put things into the Scales to weigh; but he can neither mea|&s;ure
aright, nor weigh aright, becau&s;e he cannot number, he can|not
tell how many pounds it weighs, nor how many Gallons it
holds, becau&s;e he knowes not how to count and number them. A
Bowl of the Sanctuary which was of pure Gold, had it not been
weighed and mea&s;ured, and the weight and mea&s;ure numbered,
might po&s;&s;ibly have been &s;tole, and a guilded peece of Bra&s;&s;e more
large and glorious to the &s;ight put i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter"> the Roome; which fooles
that only looked on the out-&s;ide, and never mea&s;ured nor weighed
nor numbered, it would have thought the more glorious Ve&s;&s;el;
but now the Officers of the Temple could not be cheated, becau&s;e
they weighed, mea&s;ured, and numbered it in the Church of God:
there are many peeces of <HI>Bra&s;&s;e,</HI> and tinkling <HI>Simballs,</HI> which make
a farre more glorious &s;howe, then tho&s;e that are ju&s;t weight, mea|&s;ure
and number, and are pure Gold; but when they come to be
mea&s;ured by the golden Reed, the word of God, and weighed and
mea&s;ured, and &s;ummed up, they are found to light by tho&s;e that
have wi&s;dom, though fooles that look on their guilded out-&s;ides,
dote upon them.</P>
<P>Let the &s;piritual wi&s;e man come and mea&s;ure this bea&s;t that the&s;e
fooles cry up &s;o, and they find him by the word of God, a cheat|ing,
fal&s;e, di&s;tembling guilded Hypocrite, they'l find him by the
word of God to be a u&s;urper, a murtherer, a Covenant-breaker,
and a Traytor (as Mr. <HI>Thomas Goodwin</HI> calls him) and the &s;layer
of the witne&s;&s;es. The man of under&s;tanding that weighes him,
mea&s;ures him, and numbers him, will find him to be the number of
a man, none of Gods number, there's not one &s;uch Ve&s;&s;el in the
<PB N="40" REF="26">
hou&s;e of God as he, he is weighed and found to light, and there|fore
mu&s;t be ca&s;t out from among&s;t the true Saints. This bea&s;t and
his new Government will be found but the number of a man, a
patcht piece of mans invention, and none of Gods in&s;titution.</P>
<P>And his number is 666. the&s;e words &s;eem to a&s;&s;ert the former,
here is the product of his number, 'tis here &s;ummed up to be 666.
now this is the number of a man, of mans devi&s;ing, and not of
Gods; for Gods number runs upon 12. <HI>Patriarkes,</HI> were the
foundation of the Jewi&s;h Church, the Church<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">Officers under the
Law were numbered by 12. the Porters and the &s;ingers, and the
Prie&s;ts their Orders run upon 12. The Go&s;pel Church runs upon 12.
<HI>The woeman is cloathed with 12. Starres, Revel. 12. The new Jeru|&s;alem
is founded on 12. and hath 12. Gates. Revel 21. But this bea&s;t
being numbered, he runs upon &s;ixes, his number runs upon &s;ixes:</HI> we
reade of one Gyant, an enemy to the Church that was famous for
having 6. fingers on his right hand, and 6. on his left; and 6. toes
on each of his feete, and we read of an Image, who&s;e height was
60. Cubits, and who&s;e breadth 6. Cubits; and here we reade of a
bea&s;t, who&s;e number is 666. he runs upon &s;ixes: now whether
the number of this bea&s;t alludes to that Image <HI>in dura,</HI> which was
numbered 66. or not, I cannot tell, it may be &s;o; for as that Image
was the cau&s;e of dreadful pro&s;ecution to the Saints of God, &s;o
&s;hall this bea&s;t cau&s;e &s;ore pro&s;ecution to fall upon the Saints of
God: yea, this bea&s;t &s;hall be farre more cruel then any of the e|nemies
of the Church before him, he &s;hall be more mon&s;trous in
his attempts again&s;t the Church, and he &s;hall reach higher then e|ver
any enemy before him: the talle&s;t we reade of before was but
66. but this is 666. all the enemies, the mo&s;t helli&s;he&s;t Traytors
could never yet root up the Prote&s;tant Government in <HI>England,</HI>
they could never blowe up King, Lords and Commons, by their
mo&s;t &s;ecret plots; but this bea&s;t doth it at noon-day, in the face of
all the world. Oh that I had but room here to write his Hi&s;tory,
I &s;hould make the eares of all that heard it tremble, to remember
the&s;e horrid unnatural villanies that this bea&s;t of the earth, who&s;e
nummber is 666. hath committed, all the con&s;piracies of <HI>Rome</HI> and
<HI>Spain</HI> (though they have not now been idle) could never yet do
the tenth part of that mi&s;chief to the Magi&s;try and Mini&s;try of
<HI>England</HI> as he hath done: how hath he overthrown them, even
<PB N="43" REF="26">
when they had fini&s;hed their Te&s;timony: how mi&s;erably is our cove|nanted
Reformation broken in pieces by the prevailing Trea&s;on and re|bellion
of this bea&s;t. As for tho&s;e who &s;eek to find the bea&s;t in the
number of his name, I conceive they &s;tumble upon the&s;e two gro&s;&s;e
mi&s;takes: they take the word number in a literal &s;ence, which is to be
interpreted in another &s;ence, it &s;ignifying there the due proportion of
the bea&s;t in number, weight and mea&s;ure, thereby &s;hewing he is an u|&s;urper,
a thief and a robber, none of Gods appointment. 2. There is an|other
&s;tumbling-block, at which Interpreters, not a few fall; they go
about to find the number of this bea&s;t in his name, whereas the Holy-Gho&s;t
doth not bid us number his name (for that the fooles of the
world do) but he bids them count the number of the bea&s;t; count him
in his ri&s;ing, he ro&s;e by his Lambs horns, and Dragons tongue, by flat|tering
and hypocri&s;ie, bla&s;phemies and deceits; count him in his acting,
he acts by the Devils and the Popes Commi&s;&s;ion; count him in his
power, he &s;ets up his Sword-power, a tyranical unlawful power: count
him in his means of obtaining that power; and 'tis his &s;ignes and won|ders,
whereby he cheateth the people into a compliance with, and &s;ub|jection
to his Power and Dominion. Look upon him, and count him in
his &s;everal Acts of power, and he is extreme tyranical; he makes it death
&s;peak again&s;t the new Government, and then he forceth men, even a|gain&s;t
their own Con&s;ciences, to &s;ub&s;cribe to his new Government, or
publickly to own it, by ob&s;erving his publick edicts, and keeping and &s;o|lemnizing
his Fa&s;t-dayes, and Fe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t-dayes; and if not, to deprive them
of the priviledge of buying and &s;elling to out-law them; and God on|ly
knowes what wor&s;e thing: thus count the number of the
bea&s;t, and his number is none of Gods, but the Devils number; he is
full weight no where but in the Devils &s;cales. In plain truth, he is a hy|deous
mon&s;trous Tyrant again&s;t the Church, exceeding all that went
before him; for the <HI>Popes,</HI> they only drove the witne&s;&s;es into Sack|cloth,
but this bea&s;t &s;layes them. Thus have I tediou&s;ly (though not
impertinently) &s;hewed thee Reader, the bea&s;t that &s;layes the witne&s;|&s;es,
and the time when he doth &s;lay them; and by this time, I doubt
nor, but thou &s;ee&s;t that tho&s;e whom the Dr. my Antagoni&s;t, makes the
holy ones, are tho&s;e that &s;lay the witne&s;&s;es, and tho&s;e (for who&s;e de|&s;truction
he impudently gave thanks) are the &s;lain witne&s;&s;es, I meane
the lawful Governours, and Government in the State&punc; and the lawful
Governours and Government in Church; for 'tis the Offices of both,
which being de&s;troyed, may ju&s;tly be called the &s;laying of the Witne&s;|&s;es:
<PB N="44" REF="27">
all rational &s;ober-minded Prote&s;tants may ea&s;ily find the &s;lain wit|ne&s;&s;es,
if hee'l but look to the ca&s;ting down of the Covenant-Reforma|tion,
and the In&s;truments of that Covenant. In the Covenant he may
find their te&s;timony, the which both Magi&s;trate and Mini&s;ters having
fini&s;hed, that is, fully agreed upon and re&s;olved effectually to put in
practice; up comes this bea&s;t of the earth, and with his Sword-power,
&s;layes them and their reformation, and this is the time of &s;laying of the
witne&s;&s;es: now this, (as we have proved) he did when he &s;et up his
God <HI>Mauzzim, Dan.</HI> 11. 38. that is, his Sword-power, the which was
&s;et up in <HI>Anno</HI> 1647. about <HI>Augu&s;t</HI> or <HI>December,</HI> when he got the
&s;trength of the Kingdom by Sea, <HI>viz.</HI> the Navy into his hands, and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 word">
Cinque-ports, Ca&s;tles, Strong-Holds&punc; and fortifications of the King|dom:
Together, with the general Command of all the forces in the
Kingdom of <HI>England</HI> and <HI>Wales:</HI> at which time he &s;eized on the roy|al
per<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">on of the King of <HI>England,</HI> marched up in Arms again&s;t the Lords
and Commons a&s;&s;embled in Parliament, charged illegally, per&s;umpti|ou&s;ly,
and unju&s;tly, the chief of the Members of the Hou&s;e of Com|mons
with Trea&s;on, put them to flight, impri&s;oned divers of the Lords,
and &s;everal of the Commons, and the chiefe&s;t and honourable&s;t of the
Magi&s;trates of the City of <HI>London,</HI> and by his Sword-power, &s;et up his
packt party of fagitive Members which fled from the Parliament&punc; and
openly &s;ub&s;cribed to live and die with this fellow, who&s;e de&s;igns were
to blow up King and Parliament, as &s;ince all the world hath &s;een it
true. I humbly conceive we may reckon the name of this bea&s;t to be|gin
then, and the &s;laying of the witne&s;&s;es then to begin, &s;o that the
next conclu&s;ion, or propo&s;ition for me to prove will be this.</P>
<P>That the bea&s;t of the earth that did &s;lay the&s;e witne&s;&s;es, &s;hall be de|&s;troyed,
&amp; the witne&s;&s;es that he &s;lew &s;hal ri&s;e again about this year 1651
by &s;lain witne&s;&s;es ri&s;ing again, I do not mean the &s;ame per&s;ons that were
&s;lain, but the &s;ame Offices that were pulled down, &s;hall ri&s;e again, the
lawful State, Government, and lawful Church-Government &s;hall ri&s;e
again, for the more plain and clear demon&s;tration of this, we mu&s;t lay
down &s;ome few Propo&s;itions to be premi&s;ed.</P>
<P>1. That as the former part of the Revelation &s;ets forth the enemies of the
Church, and the Church her &s;ad condition under tho&s;e enemies, e&s;pecially
the&s;e 3. enemies, the Dragon, the Bea&s;t, and the fal&s;e Prophet: &s;o from
<HI>Rev.</HI> 14. to the end, you have the vi&s;ion of the Raign of the bea&s;t, the Dra|gon,
<PB N="45" REF="27">
and the fal&s;e Prophet, and the ri&s;ing of the Church to a glorious
State.</P>
<P>2. That the bea&s;ts di&s;truction that &s;layes the witne&s;&s;e&s;ts, and the wit|ne&s;&s;es
ri&s;ing again are at one and the &s;ame time; for as the bea&s;ts ri&s;ing&punc;
and the witne&s;&s;es ruine were at once, <HI>Rev.</HI> 11. 7. &s;o the witne&s;&s;es ri&s;ing and
the bea&s;ts ruine &s;hall be at once, as the cau&s;e and the effect. The bea&s;ts ri|&s;ing
was the cau&s;e of the witne&s;&s;es falling, and the witne&s;&s;e ri&s;ing again is
the cau&s;e of the beasts ruine.</P>
<P>3. That tho&s;e witne&s;&s;es are a goodly Magi&s;tracy, and a goodly Mini&s;try,
which are called <HI>Rev.</HI> 4. 4. 6. 7. 24. Elders, and 4. living Creatures; one
like a Lion, another like a Calfe, another like a man, and unother<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">like an
Eagle: this alludes to the Mini&s;try of Prie&s;ts, who had their Habitation
near the Tabernacle, being in 24. Cour&s;es, and the 4 bea&s;ts were the 4.
chief Tribes, which had the re&s;t of the Tribes divided equally under the&s;e
4. Banners, to pitch on the <HI>North, Ea&s;t, We&s;t,</HI> and <HI>South</HI> of the Taberna|cle
to defend it <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">the&s;e 4. round, and the Prie&s;ts tipified a Go&s;pel Magi&s;tra|cy,
&s;et to protect the Church and the Mini&s;try from enemies without. This
godly Magi&s;tracy and Mini&s;try, I humbly conceive are called <HI>Rev.</HI> 10. 1.
<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">. the feete of Chri&s;t, the right foot and the left, <HI>Zach.</HI> 14. 4. there <HI>Zacha|riah</HI>
&s;aw the feet of Chri&s;t &s;tand on Mount <HI>Olivet,</HI> (i. e.) the witne&s;&s;es a&s;|&s;end
(as Rev. 11. 11. 12.) to Heaven, the&s;e are al&s;o called, (Rev. 11. 3. twoe
witne&s;&s;es, and v. 4. two <HI>Olive</HI> Trees, and two Candle-&s;ticks. <HI>Olive-Trees</HI>
to give &s;vpply of Oyle to the <HI>Candle-&s;ticks,</HI> and <HI>Candle-&s;ticks</HI> to contene
that Oyl, the two chief In&s;truments of light in the Church, v. 5. the&s;e have
fire in their mouthes: therefore <HI>Ezek.</HI> 1. 13. they were like fire, and like
Lamps, there the wheeles and the bea&s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;ignified the Magi&s;tracy and Mi|ni&s;thy,
as the bea&s;ts draw the wheeles, and the wheeles &s;upport the Arke
which was brought home, &s;o the Magi&s;tracy and Mini&s;try act for the good
of the Church, when the bea&s;ts went, the wheeles went, and when the bea&s;ts
were lifted up, the wheeles were lifted up, to note that as it fares with the
Magi&s;tracy, &s;o it fares with the Mini&s;try: if one goes up the other goes
up, if one goes down, the other goes down. <HI>Ezek.</HI> in that Chapter prophe&s;ies
principally of the glorious Go&s;pel-day which the Jews &s;hall enjoy at the end of
the Roman Monarchy; but more of this hereafter: the&s;e two witne&s;&s;es are
called (as I conceive) Rev. 4. 15. 18. the Angel of the Temple, and the
Angel of the Altar, <HI>Solomon</HI> the King was he that built the Temple, he
was the Angel of the Temple; but the High Prie&s;t was the Angel of the
<PB N="45" REF="28">
Altar, there he &s;acrificed and offered, and he had power over the fire of the
Temple, the&s;e 5. <HI>Lam.</HI> 3. are called Fathers, and Mothers in the
Church.</P>
<P>The&s;e are called, <HI>Revel</HI> 20. 4. the &s;oules of them that were beheaded
for the witne&s;s of Je&s;us, and tho&s;e which did not wor&s;hip the bea&s;t, nor
his Image, nor had taken his mark on their foreheads, or on their
hands. This ver&s;e &s;hews the puni&s;hment which the Magi&s;trates &s;hall
undergoe, they &s;hould be cut off with the Axe, (&s;o <HI>Beza</HI> reads it) and
the other, to wit, the Mini&s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">y they &s;hould &s;uffer for not &s;ub&s;cribing
the bea&s;ts Ingagement, they will not wor&s;hip his Image, nor &s;ubject
unto it; they will neither with forehead, nor hand, give or receive,
the mark of the bea&s;t.</P>
<P>4. <HI>Propo&s;.</HI> That the Vials then begin to be powred out, when the
witne&s;&s;es ari&s;e, and this bea&s;t goeth to ruine; that's to be proved by
the Vials Objects. The fir&s;t is the bea&s;t of the earth. The &s;econd the
bea&s;t of the Sea. The third is the Prince of the ayr, that's the &s;eventh
Vial, which falls on the ayr, which leads to the 5. propo&s;ition.</P>
<P>5. <HI>Propo&s;.</HI> That the great Battel, <HI>Revel. 19. 19&punc;</HI> and the Vials pow|ring
out are one and the &s;ame thing; for they have one and the &s;ame
Object, to wit, the bea&s;t of the Sea, the fal&s;e Prophet, <HI>Rev.</HI> 19. 20.
and the <HI>Dragon</HI> the <HI>Devil,</HI> the Prince of the ayr, <HI>Rev. 20. 2. and</HI> 3.</P>
<P>6. <HI>Propo&s;.</HI> That the thou&s;and years binding of Satan, and the thou|&s;and
years Raign of the Witne&s;&s;es with Chri&s;t, do not begin until the
great battel again&s;t the bea&s;t, and the fal&s;e Prophet be fought
after this Battel: the twelve Tribes of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> &s;hall be con|verted
to the Go&s;pel, and return to their own Nation, and be united
under one King.</P>
<P>All the&s;e propo&s;itions fall under the di&s;cour&s;e of the bea&s;ts ruine,
and the witne&s;&s;es ri&s;ing. I will not undertake to di&s;cour&s;e particularly
at large on each of the&s;e particulars; for then I &s;hould &s;well my di&s;|cour&s;e
into to a large volom, but only occa&s;ionally as they fall in under
the general propo&s;ition of the bea&s;t of the earths ruine, and the wit|ne&s;&s;es
ri&s;ing.</P>
<P>The exceeding many rubs that I have in my way, e&s;pecially tho&s;e
that <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> Expo&s;iters lay in my way, (I mean Prote&s;tant Writers,
either <HI>Engli&s;h,</HI> or tran&s;lated into <HI>Engli&s;h.</HI> As <HI>Brightman, Pareus,
Meade, Bernard Napier,</HI> with &s;everal others) do not only pu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter"> me to
<PB N="47" REF="28">
infinite pains, in uniting ravelled truth, but put me out of a
plea&s;ing method; for in this work, I am put to as much pains as
<HI>Alexander,</HI> when at once he an&s;wered &s;ix Emba&s;&s;ador; how
much I am contrary to the opinion of the mo&s;t <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> Expo&s;iters,
my &s;eaven forenamed Propo&s;itions &s;hew; but how agreable
the&s;e propo&s;iters are to the mind of the Holy-Gho&s;t, by the help of
the Holy-Gho&s;t, I will make it my work to &s;hew to the world from
the Scriptures them&s;elves, which are the be&s;t expo&s;itions of them|&s;elves.</P>
<P>2. The &s;econd general conclu&s;ion is, that which I &s;hall how treat
of, <HI>(viz)</HI> That the bea&s;t of the earth that overcame and
&s;lew the Witne&s;&s;es, &s;hall be overcome, and the witne&s;&s;es
that were overcome and &s;lain by him, &s;hall ri&s;e again, about
of this yeare 1651. For the proofe whereof, the fir&s;t propo&s;ition,
mu&s;t be laid before the Reader, <HI>(viz.)</HI> that as the Holy-Gho&s;t
&s;hews <HI>John</HI> the fir&s;t troubles of the Church under the Seales, unto
Con&s;tantine, (which were the per&s;ecutions of the Heathen Empe|rors,
called the red <HI>Dragon)</HI> and the per&s;ecutions of the Church
under the bea&s;t of the Sea, and the bea&s;t of the earth, from the time
of <HI>Antichrists</HI> ri&s;ing after <HI>Con&s;tantine,</HI> under the Trumpets; all
which reacheth to the 14. Chapter, &s;o from the 14. Chapter, to
the 21. Chapter: the Holy Gho&s;t &s;ets forth the ri&s;ing of the
Church, and the ruine of the enemy; in Chap. 13. He &s;ets forth
the Raign and Tyranny of the bea&s;t, of the Sea, and the bea&s;t of
the earth: the bea&s;t of the earth we have &s;een him in his ri&s;ing,
and in his Government, and we have numbered him in both, and
plainly unca&s;ed him to the world.</P>
<P><HI>Revel.</HI> 14. In the 14. Chapter there is the Church coming out
of affliction, there is the &s;laying of the witne&s;&s;es &s;et forth with the
cau&s;e, and a Prophe&s;ie of the bea&s;t of the earths ruine.</P>
<P><PB N="48" REF="29">
<HI>Rev.</HI> 15. In Chapter the 15. you have the witne&s;&s;es
ri&s;en, you mu&s;t note the Witne&s;&s;es &s;laying and ri&s;ing
again alludes much to Chri&s;ts death and Re&s;urrection;
for as they mu&s;t be confirmable to him in &s;ufferings, &s;o
the Holy Gho&s;t u&s;eth the like expre&s;&s;ion to note that &s;uch
like glorious effects &s;hall be at the Witne&s;&s;es, ri&s;ing as
at Chri&s;ts<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">Re&s;urrection.</P>
<P><HI>Rev.</HI> 16. In Chap. 16. You have the witne&s;&s;es pow|ring
out the Vials on the bea&s;t of the earth, on the Sea,
<HI>i. e.</HI> the bea&s;t of the Sea, and the la&s;t Vial into the ayre,
that is on the Prince of the ayre: the&s;e three are the one|ly
three great and lea&s;t enemies of the Church, that are
within the Church: as for the <HI>Turks</HI> and <HI>Pagans,</HI> and
&s;uch who know not, nor profe&s;s Chri&s;t, they are not
mentioned here, the Holy Gho&s;t lookes at tho&s;e enemies
that &s;hall be in this day of the powering out of the Vi|als
within the Church, naming them&s;elves Chri&s;tians,
and profe&s;&s;ing Saint-&s;hip, as the Pope the Vicar of
Chri&s;t, and his party Catholique Saints and the bea&s;t of
the Earth and his party, new lighted Saints of a high
&s;train; and the Prince of the ayre who rules in the
Children of di&s;obedience, cloakes his Traytors, and
bla&s;phemers, and de&s;pi&s;ers of Gods word, and Drunk|ards,
and fornicators, &s;wearers, and Anabapti&s;ts; with the
name of Saints, and to act all the&s;e in the high|e&s;t
way of wickedne&s;s, mu&s;t go for a high point
of Saint-&s;hip. The&s;e three Enemies you &s;hall &s;ee
<PB N="1" REF="29">
them all at the powring out of the &s;ixth viall, laying their
heads together, there is the Dragon, the Bea&s;t, and the fal&s;e
Prophet, &s;pitting venemous coun&s;ell again&s;t the Church, im|mediately
before they go to ruine at the great battell. In <HI>Rev:</HI>
17. you have an open view of the Bea&s;t of the Sea, and the
highe&s;t &s;tate and pomp of <HI>Rome,</HI> and the Bea&s;t of the earth, and
his kinde of Government, and manner of proceeding imme|diately
before their overthrow and damnation, that is, in the
time of the Reign of the Bea&s;t of the earth, who &s;laies the
Witne&s;&s;es.</P>
<P>In <HI>Revel:</HI> 18. is &s;et forth the horrible de&s;truction of <HI>Rome,</HI>
and its finall ruine: and the time of her ruine, it &s;hall be <HI>v:</HI> 7.
when &s;he glories in her plea&s;ure, and &s;its as a Queen, and ex|pects
no &s;orrow, then &s;hall her plagues come in one day <HI>(i. e.)</HI>
year: it &s;eems to me to be about her year of Jubilee. In <HI>Revel:</HI>
19. you have the Saints thundring forth hallelujah for pul|ling
down his Enemies, and &s;etting up his own Throne, where
from <HI>v:</HI> 11. to that 3. ver&s;e of Chap: 20. you have a view of
Chri&s;t in maje&s;ty, and his Army going forth to the great bat|tell
again&s;t the Bea&s;t, the Dragon, and the fal&s;e Prophet, who
are all taken and overcome; the Bea&s;t and the fal&s;e Prophet
ca&s;t alive into the Lake, and the Devill bound a thou&s;and
years: &s;o that after this Battell, the thou&s;and years tran|quility
of the Church is to be expected, and then <HI>(Revel: 20.
v: 7.)</HI> when the thou&s;and years is expired, Satan &s;hall be let
loo&s;e again, and immediately after &s;hall follow the day of
Judgement. <HI>Rev:</HI> 21. and 22. de&s;cribe the glorious &s;tate of the
Church triumphant, after the di&s;&s;olutions of the Heavens,
and the Earth that now are.</P>
<P>The 17. 18. and 19. Chap: they are as it were an <HI>exegeti<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">,</HI> or
Expo&s;ition of the three Chapters immediately preceding
them: As al&s;o the 11. Chapter, from <HI>v:</HI> 11. to the end. One
thing I will intreat the Reader to ob&s;erve, from <HI>Rev: 13. v:</HI> 10.
and 18. at the ri&s;ing of the Bea&s;t of the earth the Holy-Gho&s;t,
as it were, <HI>Ex abrupto,</HI> u&s;eth this expre&s;&s;ion, here is the faith,
and here is the patience of the Saints: To note that the ri&s;ing
<PB N="2" REF="30">
of the Bea&s;t of the earth &s;hould certainly be the time when
the Witne&s;&s;es &s;hould be under &s;ore affliction, their offen&s;ive
weapons &s;hould be taken from them, and their faith and
patience which are defen&s;ive weapons, which two, onely
Saints have, and with which they are able to beat a road
through Hell, through the deepe&s;t &s;orrows and troubles.
Now the&s;e graces this Bea&s;t of the Earth, by his cruell per&s;e|cutions,
will make them eminently to exerci&s;e while he
reigns. But in <HI>ver:</HI> 18. when his reign comes to an end, then
&s;aith the holy Gho&s;t, <HI>[Here is wi&s;dome.] Let him that hath under|&s;tanding
count the number of the Beast.</HI> Now the Bea&s;t comes to
be mea&s;ured, 'tis not <HI>[Here is the faith and patience]</HI> but <HI>[Here is
wi&s;dome.]</HI> None but the Saints have wi&s;dome, and under&s;tand|ing,
for they onely fear God. Now the Saints wi&s;dome &s;hall
be as eminent in mea&s;uring this Bea&s;t with the reed of the
Word of God&punc; and ca&s;ting him out of the true Church for an
hipocrite, and enemie to true Religion, as their faith and pa|tience
was eminent under his tyrannie. Independencie &s;hall be
ca&s;t out of the Church by them.</P>
<P>Now follows immediately in <HI>Revel:</HI> 14. the vi&s;ion of the
true Church coming out of affliction, they are the 144000.
&s;ealed ones, in <HI>Revel.</HI> 7. that now &s;tand in Mount <HI>Sion</HI> with the
Lambe; and now a new &s;ong begins to be &s;ung by heavenly
harps: the new &s;ong was a Reformation, for thats a &s;trange
and new &s;ong to the world. This &s;ong the 144000. learn, that
is, the true Church, they are the &s;ingers, and their in&s;truments
are &s;tringed in&s;truments.</P>
<P>1. Heres the number 144000. In the Temple there were but
144. Mu&s;itians, which divided them&s;elves into twelve Con|&s;orts:
but here are 144000. to note the tran&s;cendent glory of
this Go&s;pel day in the multitude of converted &s;ouls.</P>
<P>Here are their In&s;truments, Harps, which are &s;trin|ged
In&s;truments, to teach us whither to go, to learn
the meaning of this Text. And that is in <HI>Hab.</HI> 3. which
Chapter is called a Prayer upon <HI>Segionoth,</HI> that is a
<PB N="3" REF="30">
tearm of Mu&s;ick that none knows: therefore &s;ome
read it, ignorances, and &s;o it well agrees with this
&s;ong, which no one knew how to &s;ing, &s;ave Har|pers.
This Chapter is dedicated to the chief &s;inger
on <HI>Neginoth,</HI> or my &s;tringed In&s;truments. Now Harps
are &s;tringed In&s;truments; &s;o that this &s;ong of <HI>Habba|cucks</HI>
is tha<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;ong which the&s;e Harpers &s;ing.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">. Tis a new Song, in <HI>Revel: 1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">.</HI> and this of <HI>Habba|cucks</HI>
is al&s;o new: for none know how to &s;ing it but the
Harpers, tis a Prayer of <HI>Segionoth,</HI> or ignorance to all
except to the &s;ingers on <HI>Neginoth:</HI> or the &s;tringed In|&s;truments.
1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">th. P&s;almes are dedicated to <HI>Neginoth,</HI>
all which begin with Prayers for its deliverance of the
Church out of great mi&s;ery, and end with Prayers for
its deliverance: And &s;uch is the Song of the Harpers,
<HI>Rev: 15. 3, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">.</HI> This of <HI>Habb.</HI> is the &s;elf &s;ame &s;ong, to
be &s;ung by the&s;e, <HI>Rev:</HI> 14. Now tis new, becau&s;e the
conver&s;ion of the twelve Tribes, and ruine of Anti|chri&s;t,
and rai&s;ing of the Witne&s;&s;es, and making all the
kingdoms in the world Chri&s;ts, and chaining up the
Devill a thou&s;and years, is a new &s;ong never &s;ung be|fore;
the&s;e that ri&s;e with the &s;lain Witne&s;&s;es &s;ing it.
He that reads this Chapter wi&s;ely will &s;ee, <HI>ver.</HI> 2.
Chri&s;ts powerfull and glorious coming. <HI>ver:</HI> 7. 8. the
vials that hele powre out, and his manner of coming on
hor&s;es, as <HI>Rev:</HI> 19. all which the <HI>Revelation</HI> in the &s;ame
expre&s;sion mentions of Chri&s;ts coming at the 7th.
Trumpet.</P>
<P><HI>Papi&s;ts calls this Chapter of</HI> Habbac: v: 6. <HI>the joy|full
and famous &s;ong, preparation by an Angel is made
for the Preaching of the Go&s;pel to all the world, the
<PB N="4" REF="31">
&s;um of his Doctrine is in</HI> v. 7. Fear God, and give Glory
to him, for the houre of his Iudgment is coming, <HI>this houre
of judgement is that</HI> Revel: 18. 10. <HI>In one houre is
thy Iudgment come: this the world hath warning of, in</HI>
v. 8. <HI>the next Angel follows, &s;aying,</HI> v. 9. Babylon is fal|len,
is fallen, <HI>then the third Angel follows with a loud
voice, as the others do, (ob&s;erve now is the time of
loud voices in the Church, which are heard untill the
7th. Trumpet &s;ound, he forewarns every man of the
danger of wor&s;hipping the Bea&s;t and his Image, for
&s;aith he,</HI> v: 10. If any man wor&s;hip the Bea&s;t and his Image,
and receive his mark in his forhead, or on his hand the &s;ame
&s;hall drink the wine of the wrath of God, v: 11. Yea of the
pure wine which is powred into the cup of his wrath, and he
&s;hall be tormented with fire and brim&s;tone, in the pre&s;ence of
the holy Angels, and in the pre&s;ence of the Lamb. v: 12.
And they have no re&s;t day nor night, who wor&s;hip the Bea&s;t
and his Image, and receive the mark of his name, there is
the patience of the Saints, here are they that keep the Com|mandments
of God, and the faith of Ie&s;us. <HI>The&s;e words
are but once u&s;ed before.</HI></P>
<P><PB N="49" REF="31">
<GAP DESC="missing" EXTENT="1+ pages">
and that is in <HI>Rev.</HI> 13. 10. immediately before the ri&s;ing of the Bea&s;t
of the Earth. Now here they are repeated, to &s;hew the cau&s;e of the
Saints &s;ufferings, it &s;hall be for oppo&s;ing this Bea&s;t of the Earths
new Government, and not &s;ub&s;cribing to be true and faithfull to
it, which is here &s;et down by wor&s;hipping the Bea&s;t and his Image,
and receiving his mark; this &s;hall be one great cau&s;e of the Witne|&s;es
&s;laying; therefore in <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 13. there is a heavenly voice that &s;ays
<HI>Ble&s;sed are the dead which die in the Lord:</HI> and the Spirit gives two
rea&s;ons, 1. Becau&s;e <HI>they rest from their exceeding pre&s;&s;ure of cala|mity</HI>
(for &s;o <GAP DESC="foreign">, which coms from <GAP DESC="foreign">, &s;ignifies.). 2. <HI>Their
works follow them:</HI> To read it according to the Greek copie, 'tis
<HI>[but their works follow them,]</HI> to note, though the Witne&s;&s;es be
&s;lain, and that Reformation which they &s;o laboured in, be for a time
plucked out of their hands, &s;o that they are forced (as <HI>Nehemiah)</HI>
to cea&s;e from their labors, yet that work &s;hall follow them, the
work of Reformation &s;hall follow the &s;lain Witne&s;&s;es; <HI>Ble&s;sed are
the dead:</HI> this is either to &s;et out the horrible tribulation of the&s;e
times, (as in <HI>Matth. 24. Mark</HI> 13. and <HI>Luke</HI> 21. they are called) &s;o
that he &s;hall be ble&s;&s;ed that is taken to God, from out of the&s;e
troubles; or rather for incouragement to the godly Magi&s;tracy
and Mini&s;tery, which are per&s;ecuted, impri&s;oned, and bani&s;hed, and
in danger of their lives, for keeping their Covenant, and their in|tegrity,
and not breaking Gods commandements, either the fir&s;t or
the &s;econd Table. Therefore Ver. 12. it is added <HI>[Here are they that
keep the commandements of God]</HI> it &s;eems it &s;hall be a time of tram|pling
Gods Law under foot, &s;o that they that keep Gods comman|dements
&s;hall be rare and eminent men, it &s;hall be a rare thing to
find a faithfull man: <HI>When Christ comes</HI> ('tis &s;poken of this time, of
his coming in the white cloud, as followes) <HI>&s;hall he find faith on the
earth?</HI> 'Twill be a rare thing to find either faithfull Magi&s;trate or
Mini&s;ter, or men of a &s;trong faith: mo&s;t men will comply and in|gage
through the weakne&s;&s;e of their faith. Ob&s;erve what followes
this time of &s;laying the Witne&s;&s;es, ver&s;. 14. <HI>And I looked, and behold
a white cloud, and upon the cloud one like the Son of Man, having on his
head a golden crown, and in his hand a &s;harp &s;ickle.</HI> After the &s;laying
of the Witne&s;&s;es immediately followes Chri&s;t in the cloud, with
his &s;ickle in his hand. Ob&s;erve that in the 14, 15, 16. Chapter they
all make one vi&s;ion, and every ver&s;e from the 14. Chapter to the
<PB N="50" REF="32">
end of the 16. begins with a <GAP DESC="foreign">, except when the &s;en&s;e is continu|ed
in two Ver&s;es, or a rea&s;on in one is given of the former, which
is not above thrice throughout the three Chapters, there is no [<GAP DESC="foreign">]
to be found: the matter in the three Chapters is copula|tive:
In the fir&s;t part of this Chapter you have the Witne&s;&s;es fi|ni&s;hing
their te&s;timony; the Church coming out of <HI>Babylon:</HI> ha|ving
made a progre&s;&s;e in reformation, the chief in&s;truments are
&s;lain; the Magi&s;trates and the Mini&s;ters who had taken infinite
pains, had thrown down Super&s;tition, Prelacy and Popery, and co|venanted
to e&s;tabli&s;h the Go&s;pell in its purity, the&s;e on a &s;uddain,
when they had fini&s;hed their te&s;timony, are ca&s;t out of their Offi|ces,
impri&s;oned, bani&s;hed and beheaded. In <HI>Rev.</HI> 20. 4. there is the
manner of the Witne&s;&s;es puni&s;hment, and the cau&s;e of their &s;uffer|ings,
<HI>For the cau&s;e of Chri&s;t, and for the Word of God,</HI> for going a|bout
to e&s;tabli&s;h the truth of Chri&s;t according to the Word of
God (for &s;o the Covenant runs) they were cut off with the axe:
There's both the Magi&s;trates puni&s;hment and the cau&s;e plainly &s;et
down: <HI>And which did not wor&s;hip the Beast, neither his image, nei|ther
had taken his mark on their foreheads, or on their hands;</HI> that is,
they refu&s;ed to acknowledge or own the authority of the Bea&s;t of
the Earth: 'tis certain that this can be meant of none but the Bea&s;t
of the Earths government; for this power of &s;etting up an Image,
and inforcing men to wor&s;hip it, is attributed to none but him:
And whether the puni&s;hments pre&s;cribed be not now inflicted up|on
the Covenant-keeping Mini&s;tery this day, let all the world
judge: There hath nothing been &s;o clearly fulfilled in the eyes of
the world this thou&s;and years, as this of the &s;laying of the Witne&s;|&s;es
this day in our eyes: Oh that we had hearts to conceive aright
of it. Ver&s;. 4. But now followes the glorious day, Chri&s;t in a white
cloud: Here two Propo&s;itions mu&s;t be cleared: Fir&s;t, Here be|gins
the &s;eventh trumpet to &s;ound: Secondly, The &s;eventh &s;ound|ing
cau&s;eth all the vialls to be powred out, on the Bea&s;t of the
Earth, on the Bea&s;t of the Sea, and on the Prince of the Ayre. Then
begins the &s;eventh trumpet to &s;ound, when Chri&s;t begins to take
the Kingdoms of the world, and make them his own, and reigne
over them, <HI>Rev.</HI> 11. 15. But in <HI>Rev.</HI> 14. 14. then Chri&s;t is crowned
with a golden crown, when he &s;its on his white cloud; therefore
the time of Chri&s;ts coming in the cloud is the time of the &s;eventh
<PB N="51" REF="32">
trumpets &s;ounding; and for this cau&s;e, &s;aith the Holy Gho&s;t, (le&s;t
men &s;hould mi&s;take the time) <HI>Rev. 11. 14. The &s;econd woe is pa&s;t, and
the third woe cometh quickly, when the two Witne&s;ses &s;tand upon their
feet and are called up to heaven then the &s;eventh trumpet coms &s;wift|ly
and without delay,</HI> for &s;o the word <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;ignifies; therefore <HI>Rev.</HI>
16. 15. in the very middle of the narration of the great battell, that
the Dragon, the Bea&s;t, and the fal&s;e Prophet &s;hall f<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">ght again&s;t the
Lamb; when they gather together to that great battell, Chri&s;t
gives this warning to the Church, that when he is a coming, the e|nemies
gathering together with great &s;trength and force, is a true
&s;igne of Chri&s;ts coming But how doth he come? The text an|&s;wers,
<HI>Behold I come as a thief: Latro, quia latenter in&s;idiatur,</HI> that
is, &s;uddenly, before a man expects him, he is up with a man on a
&s;udden before he is provided for him: So will Chri&s;t fall upon his
enemies in a day when they look not for him, and in an hour when
they are not aware of him, <HI>When they were gathered together,</HI> v. 17.
<HI>then the &s;eventh Angell powred out his viall,</HI> and then a loud voice
coms out of the temple, &s;aying, <HI>'Tis done,</HI> that is, as <HI>Rev.</HI> 10. 7. the
my&s;tery of God, the great my&s;tery is fini&s;hed, as he hath declared
by his &s;ervants the Prophets; &s;o that, of the &s;ounding of the &s;e|venth
trumpet, it &s;eems the Prophets have prophe&s;ied.</P>
<P>The &s;eventh trumpet &s;ounding, <HI>Rev.</HI> 11. 5. Chri&s;t &s;itting on the
white cloud, <HI>Rev.</HI> 14. 14. crowned the &s;eventh Angell powring out
his viall into the ayre, <HI>Rev.</HI> 16. 17. and Chri&s;t riding on a white
hor&s;e, <HI>Rev.</HI> 19. 11. who had on his head many crowns, <HI>v.</HI> 12. and was
cloathed with a garment dipt in bloud, <HI>v.</HI> 13. and had an ho&s;t cloa|then
in white linnen, and out of who&s;e mouth goeth a &s;harp
&s;harp &s;word, to &s;mite the Gentiles withall, <HI>v.</HI> 15. who&s;e name is
written on his ve&s;ture, and thigh, <HI>the King of kings, and Lord of
lords, v.</HI> 16. and the great battell, from <HI>v.</HI> 17. with the effects of it,
to <HI>v.</HI> 5. of <HI>chap.</HI> 20. the&s;e all &s;et out one and the &s;ame thing, <HI>viz.</HI> The
de&s;truction of three grand enemies of the Church within the
Church, and the re&s;toring of a godly Magi&s;tracy and Mini&s;tery to
its former lu&s;tre and beauty; to the thorough carrying on of a re|formation,
which the Dragon, the Bea&s;t, and the fal&s;e Prophet, the
three grand enemies, de&s;troyed, in de&s;troying the two Witne&s;&s;es,
<HI>(i.e.)</HI> the godly Magi&s;tracie and Mini&s;tery, that lead the people out
of &s;pirituall <HI>Babylon.</HI> The&s;e things will be cleered in due place.</P>
<P><PB N="46" REF="33">
The &s;econd is that which I &s;uppo&s;e mo&s;t Engli&s;hmen will op|po&s;e,
becau&s;e it oppo&s;eth mo&s;t Engli&s;h writers, and oppo&s;eth the
Doctor in his new Thank&s;-giving book <HI>P.</HI> 2. who &s;aith, we are
under the &s;ixth Seal, and the &s;ixth Trumpet of that Seal, and
under the fourth Viall of that Trumpet, if not under the fifth. I'le
run after his fanta&s;tick &s;tuffe no farther, by way of repetition, but
return to my &s;econd Propo&s;ition, and prove that none of the Vialls
are yet powred out, becau&s;e they are not powred out untill the &s;e|venth
Trumpet &s;ound, that's Argument of it &s;elf &s;ufficient, for the
&s;eventh Trumpet hath not yet &s;ounded, <HI>ergo,</HI> no vialls are as yet
powred out.</P>
<P><HI>Argument.</HI> I prove that none of the Vialls &s;hall be powred out,
untill the &s;eventh Trumpet &s;ound, from <HI>Revel.</HI> 15. 5. and <HI>Revel.</HI>
11. 15. 19.</P>
<P>The Vialls are not powred out untill the Angells come out of
the Temple, <HI>Rev.</HI> 25. 16. and they come not out, untill the Temple
of the Tabernacle of the Te&s;timony in heaven was open, <HI>v.</HI> 5. but
the Temple of God was not opened in heaven, untill the &s;eventh
Trumpet &s;ounded, <HI>Rev. 11. 15. 19. ergo,</HI> the Vialls cannot be powred
out, untill the &s;euenth Trumpet &s;ound.</P>
<P>2. <HI>Argument.</HI> I may argue thus from <HI>Revel.</HI> 16. 1. If no Vialls be
powred out, untill <HI>John</HI> heard a voice out of the Temple, then none
are as yet powred out; for no voice coms out of the Temple, untill
the Temple be open, and the Angells come out, which we have
clearly proved, is not till the &s;eventh. Trumpet &s;ounds, and the &s;e|venth,
Trumpet &s;ounds not, untill Chri&s;t come in the cloud crow|ned
to po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e the Kingdomes, and to de&s;troy the three grand ene|mies,
the Bea&s;t of the Sea, which kept the Witne&s;&s;es in Sackcloth,
and the Bea&s;t of the Earth, which <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">lays the Witne&s;&s;es, and the Di|vell,
who raigns and rages again&s;t the Go&s;pell, with his crue of
Traytors, bla&s;phemers, heretikes, and the like, which is not yet ful|filled,
therefore no Vialls are powred out.</P>
<P>3. <HI>Argument.</HI> If no Vialls be powred out, untill the Viall be pow|red
out on the earth, which cau&s;eth a noy&s;ome and grievous &s;ore
upon the men which had received the mark of the Bea&s;t, and upon
them which wor&s;hipped his Image, then no Viall is as yet powred
out; for by earth, is here meant the Bea&s;t of the Earth, and his fol|lowers:
<PB N="47" REF="33">
Now the Bea&s;t of the Earth and his followers, we proved
already were not in being, untill 1647. and no Viall hath been pow|red
out upon him as yet, for he is now raging over, and trampling
under the &s;lain Witne&s;&s;es; therefore none of the Vialls are as yet
powred out, nor can we expect them, untill the three years and an
half of his raign be expired, which we hope is not many moneths
longer.</P>
<P>4. <HI>Argument.</HI> But to take an Argument <HI>ad hominem,</HI> there are ma|ny
learned Divines of the&s;e later dayes, who hold that the Witne&s;|&s;es
are to powre out the Vialls, the &s;lain Witne&s;&s;es ri&s;ing do it, this
is mo&s;t probable; if &s;o, then I bring a double argument thus, If the
Witne&s;&s;es ri&s;ing powre out the Vialls, then no Vialls have yet been
powred out; for as a learned Divine, <HI>November</HI> 5. la&s;t &s;aid, The
Witne&s;&s;es are not yet ri&s;en, their ri&s;ing will be con&s;picuous, when
they ri&s;e, the Saints &s;hall &s;ing the Song of <HI>Mo&s;es, Rev.</HI> 15. 3. and they
&s;hall be a terrour to all their enemies round about them, who &s;hall
&s;ee their ri&s;ing and tremble at it, <HI>Revel.</HI> 11. 11. they &s;hall put on
white linnen (which is another Argument) <HI>Revel</HI> 15. 6. before they
go to powre out the Vialls: but from the time of the Popes raigns,
to the time of the Bea&s;t of the Earths raign the Witne&s;&s;es were in
Sackcloth, and therefore could not powre out the Vialls, and &s;ince
they have been &s;lain, and now are dead, dead in Law, out-lawed
per&s;ons, dethroned, degraded, &s;ecluded, &s;eque&s;tered, and di&s;&s;ipated
them, &s;o that untill the &s;lain Witne&s;&s;es ri&s;e, there can be no Vialls
powred out; and by con&s;equence none are powred out, for the
Witne&s;&s;es are not ri&s;en.</P>
<P>I am not ignorant how there are very many and learned Prote|&s;tants,
who &s;ay that at lea&s;t an hundred years ago, &s;ome of the Vials
were powred out, but what ground have they from Scripture to
&s;ay &s;o? every Scholler po&s;itively concludes none at all; what then
is their ground, but only the &s;trength of their fancy in crooking
&s;acred texts to corrupt hi&s;tories: as for example, <HI>Pareus</HI> is of opini|on
that <HI>Luther</HI> powred out the fir&s;t Viall upon the earth, when he
preached again&s;t Pardon-Mongers and Indulgences, and all the
ground he hath for it, is, becau&s;e he finds that <HI>Luther</HI> was a &s;tout
oppo&s;er of Pardon-mongers and Canoni&s;ts; whereas he that reads
but with an impartiall eye the hi&s;tory of the German Churches,
&s;ince <HI>Luther,</HI> will rather conclude that the Pope powred out a Vi|all
on the German Churches, then the German Churches on him;
<PB N="54" REF="34">
'tis the mo&s;t &s;en&s;ele&s;&s;e&s;t thing, and the mo&s;t rediculous in the
world, for wi&s;e men to affirm, that four or five of the Vialls
are powred out on Rome and the Pope, when the Pope and Rome
were never in greater pomp (witne&s;&s;e this yeare of Jubilee at
Rome) and his Councells and politick devices never more pro&s;pe|rou&s;ly
&s;ucceeded then now. 'Tis true indeed, <HI>Hu&s;se</HI> and <HI>Hierome of
Prague,</HI> and <HI>Luther,</HI> and tho&s;e German Princes, who defended
tho&s;e truths which their Mini&s;ters taught, prove that there were
Witne&s;&s;es then in being; but for certain, the Pope made them wear
&s;ackcloth, all Europe will affirm it. Queen <HI>Elizabeth,</HI> the famou&s;e&s;t
Prince&s;&s;e in the world again&s;t the Pope, how was &s;he, and her Mi|ni&s;tery
and Kingdom kept in &s;ackcloth? once the Armado from
Spain put her and all the Kingdom to fa&s;ting and &s;ackcloth; &s;he
her &s;elf went daily in danger of her life; at lea&s;t twelve &s;everall
attempts of trea&s;on again&s;t her per&s;on were di&s;covered, &s;o that &s;he
e&s;caped hardly the Popes clutches with her life. Now to call this a
powring out of the vialls on Rome, is that that gives ju&s;t occa&s;ion
to the Papi&s;ts to &s;corn and deride our Expo&s;itors: Let not Rome
think that &s;he hath had one of her plagues yet: When God
powres out his vialls upon her, &s;he &s;hall feel then to the purpo&s;e:
Romes plagues are not to come till the politick State have reigned
1260. years, and then let Rome know, in a day, that is, a yeare,
<HI>Rev.</HI> 18. her plagues &s;hall come upon her. The Bea&s;t of the Earth
mu&s;t lead the way to de&s;truction, in who&s;e ruine the chief &s;trength
of the Pope &s;hall go to ruine, and the Devill too; and therefore
'tis (I conceive) that in the great battell, that this Bea&s;t &s;hall fight
again&s;t the Lamb; for none but he this day is capable in per&s;on to
fight again&s;t the Lamb, and his 144000. followers: For I conceive
by this completene&s;&s;e of the number of Chri&s;ts followers, 'tis
meant a Nationall Church that he fights again&s;t; if &s;o, then it mu&s;t
be <HI>Scotland,</HI> or no Nation in the world; for they onely are a Na|tinall
Church truly reformed. When he is overcome, 'tis &s;aid, <HI>Rev.</HI>
20. 21. that the Pope was taken when this fal&s;e Prophet is taken, be|cau&s;e
the Popes intere&s;t is mo&s;t concerned in this Bea&s;ts over|throw.
Could the Pope (who by his Bea&s;t works all his miracles in
the &s;ight of the Pope, or with his approbation) overthrow the co|venanted
people in <HI>England</HI> and <HI>Scotland,</HI> the Prote&s;tant Cau&s;e
would not have re&s;t for the &s;ole of its foot in the world, and then
the Pope would flouri&s;h: But if the Covenauters in <HI>Scotland</HI>
<PB N="55" REF="34">
&s;hould prevaile again&s;t the Bea&s;t of the Earth there, the Pope mu&s;t
not look to &s;tand long, and that the Romi&s;h Polititians know, they
have read the Covenant over and over, and know full well the
contents of it, and the intentions of the takers and keepers of it,
&s;o that the Popes intere&s;t is highly concerned in the &s;ucce&s;&s;e of the
Bea&s;t of the Earth, who bears him up; who falling, (which will
doubtle&s;&s;e be very &s;uddenly, for the viall is fir&s;t powred on him,
<HI>Rev. 16. 2.)</HI> immediatly followes the vialls upon the Romi&s;h party,
and &s;o Romes ruine coms on a &s;udden.</P>
<P>As for tho&s;e who affirm in their writings, that there is a large
&s;pace of time betwixt viall and viall in its powring out: I dare af|firm
the contrary, that they have no cau&s;e nor ground for it in the
world: 1. Not from <HI>Rev.</HI> 16. from <HI>v.</HI> 1. rather the contrary is
proved; for there is command given at once to the &s;even Angells
to powre out the &s;even vialls. 2. They are called vialls, which
(&s;ay the learned) are wide-mouthed and large ve&s;&s;ells, like a kettle,
to &s;ignifie large and &s;udden mea&s;ures of wrath on Gods enemies:
<HI>Sodom</HI> (with two Angells who powred out their vialls on it) was
utterly de&s;troyed on the &s;udden with a terrible de&s;truction; but
here are &s;even Angells and &s;even vialls, to note the terrible and ir|re&s;i&s;tible
de&s;truction, and the full and complete de&s;truction of the
enemies: this de&s;truction that God &s;hall bring on the&s;e la&s;t ene|mies
in the&s;e la&s;t dayes, &s;hall be to their finall ruine; and therfore
'tis that <HI>Babylons</HI> ruine is compared, <HI>Rev.</HI> 18. 21. to a mil&s;tone ca&s;t
into the &s;ea, and <HI>Rev.</HI> 20. 20. the enemies were ca&s;t into the lake,
which burns with fire and brim&s;tone, that is, into hell: now out of
hell there is no redemption, the&s;e are the &s;ame enemies on which
the vialls are powred out. Though here the Bea&s;t of the Earth be
called the fal&s;e Prophet, it is but to let us know 'tis the &s;ame Bea&s;t
that makes fire come down from heaven, <HI>(Rev. 13. 13.)</HI> that is, before
he takes in hand his enterpri&s;es, that he may cheat the fooli&s;h peo|ple
of the world, he makes open appeales to God in the &s;ight of
the world, to own his cau&s;e, and give him &s;ucce&s;&s;e according to his
integrity herein: He imitates <HI>Elias;</HI> and after he hath fa&s;ted, and
prayed, and made his appeales, he hath his de&s;ired &s;ucce&s;&s;e, and then
he makes the world believe 'tis the return of his prayers: all which
makes the world cry up his cau&s;e for Gods cau&s;e, and him and his
party for the true Saints, and the great Reformers: But for all his
&s;ucce&s;&s;es, he is but a fal&s;e prophet, a lying, traiterous, perjured, ma|licious
<PB N="56" REF="35">
enemy to the Church and Saints of God. The&s;e &s;even Vialls
are but figurative expre&s;&s;ions of the &s;uddain, terrible, and finall
wrath of God upon the enemies of his Church, which we &s;hall find
again&s;t the &s;ame enemies in <HI>I&s;aiah 11. 15. Zach. 10. 11. Luke 21. 23.
Matth. 24. 29. Mark</HI> 13. 24. I will briefly tovch upon them all, be|cau&s;e
they give much light unto our pre&s;ent di&s;cour&s;e; ob&s;erve this
by the way.</P>
<P><HI>Note.</HI> That the fini&s;hing of the My&s;tery of God, in the daies of
the voice of the &s;eventh Trumpet, is for certain revealed to the
Prophets in the Old Te&s;tament, <HI>Revel.</HI> 10. 7. and I am very confi|dent,
that this is the day that <HI>Ezekiel</HI> &s;aw, <HI>Ezek. 1. Chap.</HI> 10, and this
is the day that <HI>Solomon</HI> &s;ings of, indeed it was their fervent de&s;ire,
that were Saints under the old Te&s;tament, to &s;ee the day of Chri&s;ts
appearing in the fle&s;h; therefore <HI>Cant. 1. 2. Let him ki&s;&s;e me with the
ki&s;&s;es of his mouth, for his Love is better then Wine:</HI> They under the
Law were ki&s;&s;ed only with <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> mouth, they received the Law
from his mouth, the mo&s;t &s;oul-refre&s;hing&s;t part of it con&s;i&s;ting in Sa|crifices,
in meat Offerings, &amp; drink Offerings, Wine &amp; Oyl, but they
de&s;ired the Ordinances from Chri&s;ts mouth, which was better then
&s;uch Wine, better then the Ceremoniall Sacrifices; but when Chri&s;t
came in the fle&s;h among&s;t them to give them Ordinances, <HI>v.</HI> 5. they
looked on Chri&s;ts blackne&s;&s;e, they looked on his mean parentage,
his poverty, and his &s;ufferings, they looked on him, as on the Tents
of <HI>Keder,</HI> which were cour&s;e, mean, ba&s;e things, what (&s;aid they) is
not this the Carpenters Son? they looked only on his humane na|ture,
which was as mean as the Tents of <HI>Keder,</HI> but they looked not
on his Divine Nature, which was glorious as the Curtains of <HI>Solo|mon,</HI>
which was of mo&s;t rich &s;tuffe, and curiou&s;ly wrought, this they
looked not on, but <HI>(ver. 6.)</HI> on the blackne&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t, becau&s;e the
wrath of Gods hot di&s;plea&s;ure &s;corched him on the Cro&s;&s;e; there|fore
his mothers children <HI>(i.e.)</HI> the Jews were angry with him, and
this was all the rea&s;on, becau&s;e he neglected his own &s;afety, and
comfort, and ea&s;e, and life, to give them &s;afety, and comfort, ea&s;e,
and eternall life; he was the Keeper of the Vineyards, but his own
Vineyard he had not kept. He was the Churches keeper, though he
kept not him&s;elf from Gods wrath.</P>
<P>This day of Chri&s;ts coming in the fle&s;h, the Jewes thus by their
blindne&s;&s;e and unbelief lo&s;t, and therefore that day is not the day
<PB N="57" REF="35">
that the Prophets mean in their Prophecies &s;hall be the glorious day
to the Jewes, but (as the Rabbins &s;ay, and that (as to that) truly)
it is &s;ome glorious day of re&s;toring the twelve Tribes again in the
end of the Roman Monarchy: this day was the day that the Jews
(that believed in Chri&s;t when he was on earth) looked for; there|fore
&s;aid &s;ome of them, <HI>Wilt thou at this time re&s;tore the kingdome to
I&s;rael? Acts</HI> 2. They did look for a re&s;toring of the kingdom of
I&s;rael to its former lu&s;tre, as in <HI>Davids</HI> time: This will be at the
&s;ounding of the &s;eventh trumpet: and of this my&s;tery at this
time to be revealed, he Prophets have prophe&s;ied; as in <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 11. there
you have a Prophe&s;ie of the Go&s;pell day; and from Chri&s;ts incar|nation
to the end of the Roman Monarchy; for the three other
Monarchies were pa&s;t, and only the Roman Monarchy in being,
when Chri&s;t was born. In the eleven fir&s;t ver&s;es there is &s;et forth
the excellency of Chri&s;t the Author of the Go&s;pell, and the glo|rious
effects of his Go&s;pell. Now in this Go&s;pell-day God will
recover the &s;econd time the remnant of his people, that is, I&s;rael,
from <HI>A&s;&s;yria</HI> and <HI>Egypt,</HI> and from the I&s;lands of the Sea: This day
of redemption mu&s;t of nece&s;&s;ity be the day of redeeming the
Jews from under the Roman Monarchy: for <HI>Paul Rom. 15. 12.)</HI>
quotes <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 11. 10. to &s;hew that <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> prophe&s;ied of Chri&s;ts com|ing,
and the Gentiles believing in him: Now this of the Gentiles
conver&s;ion was under the Roman Monarchy, therfore <HI>(I&s;a. 11. v. 11)</HI>
the recovering again of I&s;rael and Juda mu&s;t be meant of their re|demption
by Chri&s;t, and conver&s;ion under the Roman Monarchy:
this no rational Textman can deny, <HI>v.</HI> 11, 12, 13, 14. you &s;hal find the&s;e
expre&s;&s;ions quoted by Chri&s;t, <HI>Matth.</HI> 24. their flying on the &s;houl|ders
of the Phili&s;tims of the We&s;t, <HI>v.</HI> 14. is to expre&s;&s;e the great ad|vantage
the Jewes &s;hall have in their conver&s;ion to Chri&s;t by the
de&s;truction of the We&s;tern Roman Empire, which are their &s;piri|tuall
Phili&s;tims, who allow them not to &s;earch the Word, they
keep all &s;pirituall weapons from them, and by their &s;pirituall
wickedne&s;&s;e and &s;uper&s;tition harden the poore Jewes in unbe|lief:
therefore the Ponti&s;ick State is called <HI>(Revel. 7.)</HI> in Hebrew
<HI>Abaddon, i.e.</HI> a de&s;troyer. In <HI>I&s;a. 11. v.</HI> 12. &amp; 13. there is an|other
Argument: For God promi&s;eth here to gather I&s;rael and
Juda; Ephraim, (that is, the Royall Family of the ten Tribes)
&s;hall not envy Juda, nor Juda vex Ephraim, the twelve Tribes &s;hall
be united; but they were never yet gathered together &s;ince the
<PB N="58" REF="36">
Babyloni&s;h Captivity, nor were they ever united as yet, therefore
this is to be fulfilled: Now in that day when the&s;e things &s;hall be
accompli&s;hed, <HI>v. 14, 15. Edom, Moab</HI> and <HI>Ammon,</HI> that is, all He|retikes,
who are the wor&s;t of enemies to the true Church; for <HI>E|dom</HI>
came of <HI>E&s;au</HI> the apo&s;tate, <HI>v.</HI> 14. and <HI>Moab</HI> and <HI>Ammon</HI> were
the &s;ons of <HI>Lot,</HI> begotten and born in ince&s;t. Now all the&s;e in af|ter-ages
pretended that they were the true begotten &s;ons of the
Church; the Edomites &s;aid that their father <HI>E&s;au</HI> was the fir&s;t born
of <HI>Jacob,</HI> and therefore they were the true Church. The Moabites
and the Amorites they &s;aid that <HI>Lot</HI> was their Grand father, there|fore
they are the true Church. Now the&s;e three were the ba&s;e&s;t,
maliciou&s;e&s;t, and cruelle&s;t enemies that the true Chruch had, and &s;o
are heretikes and Apo&s;tates, which the world &s;hall be full of <HI>(Mat.
24. 26. 29.)</HI> before the conver&s;ion of the Jewes; but the&s;e &s;hall be
trodden underfoot: as <HI>David</HI> when he came to the crown &s;ubdued
them round about, &s;o will God, <HI>v.</HI> 15. and God will de&s;troy the
tongue of the Egyptian Sea, that is, the Popedome, which is the
tongue of the Roman Church, which is &s;pirituall Egypt, and &s;mite
it in the &s;even &s;treames, that they may go over drie-&s;hod: this
Chri&s;t quotes, <HI>Rev.</HI> 16. 12. there is the river which God will &s;mite in
the &s;even &s;treames and drie it up, that I&s;rael may come to the Go&s;|pell:
<HI>Romes</HI> accur&s;ed doctrine, pomp and tyranny &s;hall come to
ruine, not only at <HI>Rome,</HI> but in the We&s;t and Ea&s;t India's there God
&s;hall break the Popi&s;h Religion, and the Tribes &s;hall take notice of
Gods mighty hand, and give glory to God: the like expre&s;&s;ion
we have in <HI>Zacharia, Zach.</HI> 10. from <HI>v.</HI> 6. to <HI>v.</HI> 9. the Jewes conver|&s;ion
is declared: This <HI>Cornelius &agrave; Lapide</HI> conceives is meant of the
Jewes conver&s;ion: this was begun (&s;aith he) by the Apo&s;tles, but
&s;hall be perfected by the two Witne&s;&s;es: I like well the words in
&s;ome &s;en&s;e; they are doubtle&s;&s;e mo&s;t true, but <HI>v.</HI> 11. when he doth
this, what will he do? he will pa&s;&s;e through the Sea with afflicti|on
(the Septuagint reads it, <HI>He will pa&s;&s;e through the narrow Sea.)</HI>
and &s;hall &s;mite the waves thereof, and the deeps of the river &s;hall
drie up, and the pride of <HI>A&s;hur</HI> &s;hall be brought down, and the
Scepter of Egypt &s;hall depart away: Compare the&s;e places with
the Vialls, and they are all one, as in time, &s;o in expre&s;&s;ion: but I
am too tedious. In <HI>Mat, 24. Mark</HI> 13. and <HI>Luke</HI> 21. we may find
all the Vialls there mentioned: I will touch upon one for all.
<PB N="59" REF="36">
<HI>Luke</HI> 21. 24. there begins the Jews woes and &s;orrowes from the
time of Jeru&s;alems de&s;truction downward, untill the time of the
Gentiles be fulfilled, what's the meaning of that? Look in <HI>Rom,</HI>
12. 25. there is repeated, that blindne&s;s, in part, is hapned to <HI>I&s;|rael,</HI>
untill the fulne&s;s of the Gentiles be come in; 'tis all one with
that expre&s;&s;ion, Untill the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled; but
when is the time of the Gentiles fulfilled? look in <HI>Rev.</HI> 11. 2. there
the time of the Gentiles, that is, the time of Antichri&s;ts raign (&s;ay
all or the mo&s;t Interpreters) is 42 moneths (Salary moneths)
which make 1260 dayes, dayes being put for years, the
meaning is, the full time of Antichri&s;ts Raign is 1260 years;
and when the&s;e years are expired, then the fulne&s;s of the Gentiles
is come in, and then all <HI>I&s;rael</HI> &s;hall be &s;aved by Je&s;us Chri&s;t; as
<HI>E&s;ay</HI> 59. 20. the place that <HI>Paul</HI> quotes, where had we time, it
were ea&s;ie to give the Reader an exact view of the&s;e times, in the
precedent matter to the text: there we may &s;ee Chri&s;ts coming
to repay vengeance to the Enemies in the I&s;lands, that the We&s;t
may fear God; and this &s;hall be done, <HI>ver.</HI> 19. when the Enemy
comes in like a floud, and how it &s;hall be done? the Spirit of the
Lord &s;hall lift up a &s;tandart again&s;t him: this is ab&s;olutely pro|phe&s;ied
of that time, when the fulne&s;s of the Gentiles is come in;
that is, when the time of Antichri&s;ts Raign is accompli&s;hed: I am
not ignorant how far I am from the common interpretations of
this text; but I am confident, upon Scripture-grounds, I come
neerer the mind of the Holy Gho&s;t, then they that &s;ay, by the
fulne&s;s of the Gentiles, is meant, the glorious time of the full
coming in of the Gentiles to the Go&s;pel.</P>
<P>Blindne&s;s is hapned, in part, to <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> until the fulne&s;s of the
Gentiles be come in; here is the mea&s;ure of the time of the Jews
rejection from the Go&s;pel, &s;o long as till the fulne&s;s of the Gen|tiles
be come in. If by fulne&s;s of the Gentiles be meant their
full conver&s;ion, then the Jews &s;hall not be converted until the
full conver&s;ion of the Gentiles be accompli&s;hed: but this is con|trary
to the Apo&s;tles words in the &s;ame Chapter, for <HI>ver. 12. Now</HI>
(&s;aith he) <HI>if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the dimi|ni&s;hing
of them the riches of the Gentiles, how much more their fulne&s;s?</HI>
So that by this text, it is clear, that the ri&s;ing of the Jews &s;hall be
the bringing in of a far greater number of Gentiles to the Go|&s;pel,
<PB N="60" REF="37">
then their fall could do; and therefore 'tis that the Prophet
&s;aith, In this day people &s;hall flock in to the Go&s;pel, <HI>as the Doves
to the windows; and ten women &s;hall take hold of the skirt of a Jew,
and go after him;</HI> that is, embrace his Religion, being a Chri&s;tian:
And hence it is, that at the &s;ounding of the &s;eventh Trumpet a
voice is heard crying aloud, <HI>That all the Kingdomes in the world
are become the Lords, becau&s;e of the great conver&s;ion of Soules
throughout the world;</HI> that &s;hall be when the Jews begin to come
in to Chri&s;t: So that the fulne&s;s of the Gentiles, in that place,
cannot mean any other then as <HI>Luke</HI> 21. 24. expre&s;&s;eth it, <HI>the ful|filling
the times of the Gentiles,</HI> which <HI>Rev.</HI> 11. 2. is 42 Moneths,
and that is 1260 years (the full time of Antichri&s;ts raign) and &s;o
long the true Church (which is Jeru&s;alem) &s;hall be trodden under
foot, <HI>Cajetan</HI> well ob&s;erves (though few of the Romi&s;h Wri|ters
which quote him ob&s;erve it) that <HI>donec plenitudo gentium
intret,</HI> is the my&s;tery which <HI>Paul</HI> would have the Romans not ig|norant
of, le&s;t they &s;hould think too well of their Church; and
doubtle&s;s this is the my&s;tery which the Holy Gho&s;t <HI>(Rev. 10. 7.)</HI>
&s;aith &s;hall be fini&s;hed in the dayes of the voice of the &s;eventh
Trumpet, as the Prophets have declared. So that we mu&s;t look
i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter"> to the prophe&s;ies concerning this my&s;tery, and the &s;eventh
Trumpet, as well as into the Writings of the Apo&s;tles. <HI>Beda</HI> on
<HI>Luke</HI> 21. 24. &s;aith, that it is the &s;ame with <HI>Rom.</HI> 11. 25. and many
of the Popi&s;h Doctors agree with him, which is as much as I will
de&s;ire, to make good my a&s;&s;ertion. The Ancients, and many of
the Romi&s;h Doctors conclude, that <HI>I&s;rael</HI> &s;hall be converted to
Chri&s;t about the end of the World. Saith the ordinary glo&s;&s;e
in the end of the World when Antichri&s;ts fal&s;hood &s;hall be dete|cted;
and (&s;aith <HI>Abelardus)</HI> in the end of the world they &s;hall
be converted, <HI>per</HI> the Witne&s;&s;es. So &s;aith <HI>Remigerus:</HI> Now the Wit|ne&s;&s;es
ri&s;e not untill the full time of Antichri&s;ts raign be accom|pli&s;hed,
<HI>Rev.</HI> 11. Therfore when the fulne&s;s of the Gentiles &s;hall
come in; that is, Antichri&s;ts raign &s;hall be accompli&s;hed, <HI>I&s;rael</HI>
&s;hall be converted: Of this opinion I &s;uppo&s;e learned Prote&s;tants
are, That the Romi&s;h Apo&s;tacy, is the cau&s;e of the Jews Ob&s;tacy;
untill the de&s;truction of which, they &s;hall continue in their blind|ne&s;&s;e:
This opinion <HI>Contzenus</HI> the Je&s;uit cries out of, as the opi|nion
of Hereticks. I conceive he cryeth mo&s;t again&s;t learned
<PB N="61" REF="37">
<HI>Melancthon,</HI> who on that text tels us, of the ruine of the Gentiles
Church by here&s;ies, and apo&s;tacy; which apo&s;tacy being fulfilled,
the Jews &s;hall be converted: To this purpo&s;e he &s;peaketh ex|cellently
and truly; but mark what follows in <HI>Luk. 21. 25. After
the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled, then there &s;hal be &s;igns in the Sun,
and in the Moon, and in the &s;tars; and upon the earth di&s;tre&s;s of Nati|ons,
with perplexity, the &s;eas and the waves roaring, mens hearts fail|ing
them, for the powers of heaven &s;halbe &s;haken.</HI> The&s;e are the vials
that &s;halbe poured out on the Churches enemies; and what then?
ver. 27. <HI>Then &s;hall they &s;ee the Son of Man coming in a cloud;</HI> and
then, ver. 18. <HI>When they &s;ee the&s;e things begin to come to pa&s;s, let the
Jews lift up their heads for their redemption draweth nigh:</HI> compare
<HI>Matth.</HI> 24. and <HI>Mark</HI> 13. with this text: this day mu&s;t be meant
of the Jews conver&s;ion, therefore it &s;ets forth &s;ome Go&s;pel-day;
for &s;hould it be the day of Judgment, it would be the day of their
Damnation: therefore when the vials are poured out, they &s;hall
&s;ee the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glo|ry:
this leads me back to the text that I have run away &s;o long
from, <HI>Revel.</HI> 14. 14. there immediatly the witne&s;&s;es were &s;lain,
<HI>John</HI> looked, and behold a white cloud, and on the cloud one &s;it|ting
like the Son of Man, having in his hand a crown, there's his
glory; and with a &s;harp &s;ickle, there is his power; and then there
are the Angels, the Angel out of the Temple, and the Angel from
the Altar, and they make &s;upplication, that the harve&s;t of the
earth, which is ripe, may be reaped by Chri&s;t, who had the &s;harp
&s;ickle in his hand; and at their &s;upplication Chri&s;t goes to work
with the Vines of the Vineyard of the Earth, and cuts them
down; and then the bloud of the Vines of the Earth, that is, the
power of the bea&s;t of the Earth is broken, and their bloud in a
great mea&s;ure &s;hed at the &s;ame time, <HI>Revel. 15. John</HI> &s;aw another
&s;ign in Heaven great and marvellous; this great &s;ign is that in,
<HI>Matth.</HI> 24. and <HI>Mark</HI> 13. the &s;ign is &s;even Angels, with the &s;even
plagues; the great &s;ign is Gods eminent wrath again&s;t the Ro|man
Monarchy, in all its power and &s;trength; for by clouds, trees,
waves of the Sea, and &s;tars, <HI>Jude</HI> (13.) tells us, are meant, hereticks
in the Church, they &s;hall be ca&s;t from heaven; that is, out of the
Church: or el&s;e by Sun, Moon, and Stars, are meant the higher
powers in a State. So <HI>Jacob</HI> interprets his &s;on <HI>Jo&s;ephs</HI> dream;
<PB N="62" REF="38">
but ob&s;erve what <HI>John</HI> &s;ees: before the Vials be poured out, he
&s;aw, <HI>ver.</HI> 2. a gla&s;&s;ie &s;ea mingled with fire; The &s;ea in the Temple
was made of bra&s;s, it was not to be &s;een through, onely they that
looked into it, &s;aw what was in it; it typified the Jewi&s;h Church,
which onely were the people of God, and had the true wor&s;hip
and knowledge of God; no other Nation were in covenant with
God but they, untill Chri&s;t came; the water in the &s;ea was a type
of Chri&s;ts bloud, which was to other Nations con&s;picuous. But
now in the Go&s;pel-Church here <HI>John</HI> &s;ees a gla&s;&s;e &s;ea with fire in
it, which may be beheld of all that come neer it, or &s;tand afar off
it. <HI>John</HI> baptized with water, but <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> with the Holy Gho&s;t
and fire; this Go&s;pel-Church now &s;hall have abundance of &s;plen|dor
when the Witne&s;&s;es ri&s;e; for tho&s;e that &s;tand upon this gla&s;s
&s;ea, are the &s;lain witne&s;&s;es who now are ri&s;en again: they are they
that (after the Lord Je&s;us hath reaped the Earth, as <HI>Habak.</HI> 3. 4, 5,
6. with his horns in his hand, with pe&s;tilence and fire mea&s;uring
the Earth) are &s;aid to have gotten the victory over the bea&s;t of
the Earth, and his Image; that is, his government, and his mark
and the number of his name; that is, over his Ingagement and
&s;ubtil-in&s;naring &s;tratagems; the&s;e &s;ing the &s;ong of <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> that is,
they &s;ing <HI>Hallelujah, Rev.</HI> 19. for the wonderful deliverance of the
Church out of great danger: they keep &s;olemn and &s;erious
Thank&s;giving dayes to God, for re&s;toring again their Church, and
State-Reformers.</P>
<P>After that followes the &s;even Angels, who after the Temple
was open, went forth with great power, and <HI>Rev.</HI> 16. pour out the
Vials: to &s;ay directly, who the&s;e Angels are, or what the Vials
are, I dare not, for the&s;e things are to come, and have not been as
yet fulfilled.</P>
<P>This, I think, may cleerly be made out, that the Bea&s;t of the
Earth &s;hall be de&s;troyed when the Witne&s;&s;es ri&s;e, and then &s;hall
follow all the Vials upon Rome, and the other Enemies of the
Church profe&s;&s;ing Chri&s;tianity; for in all the&s;e Vials I do not
find a word that is applicable to the Turk, but onely to the Bea&s;t
of the Earth, the Bea&s;t of the Sea, and the Dragon, which are all
within the Church. 2. This al&s;o may be made out from what we
have &s;aid, that the Vials &s;hall all be poured out within a &s;hort
&s;pace of time; for if the Vials &s;hall not be poured out untill An|tichri&s;ts
<PB N="63" REF="38">
raign be accompli&s;hed, and before the Jews are convert|ed,
then they mu&s;t be &s;peedily poured out, becau&s;e the Jews con|ver&s;ion
immediatly follows the ruine of the Roman Monarchy:
therefore in <HI>Mat. 24. 29. after the Vials are poured out upon the
Roman Monarchy:</HI> then <HI>ver. 30. the Kindreds of the Earth &s;hall
mourn.</HI> Such a mourning as <HI>Zachary</HI> &s;peaks of; <HI>They &s;hall look
upon him whom they have pierced, and mourn over him.</HI> I conceive
Chri&s;t borrows that expre&s;&s;ion, <HI>For here they &s;hall &s;ee the &s;ign of the
Son of man, and mourn:</HI> and <HI>ver&s;. 31. and he &s;hall &s;end his Angel with
a &s;ound of a Trumpet,</HI> this is the &s;eventh Trumpet, <HI>and they &s;hall ga|ther
together all his Elect from the four winds.</HI> The &s;ounding of
the Trumpet was a &s;ign, that &s;ome &s;olemn day, or publick good
was at hand: the Phari&s;ees therefore &s;ounded a Trumpet in the
Market-place, to proclaim the glad tidings of Almes to the poor;
but e&s;pecially (to which the Holy Gho&s;t alludes) the joyful year
of Jubilee was proclaimed by &s;ound of Trumpet, which &s;et the
ingaged free; &s;o &s;hall this &s;eventh Trumpet proclaim the joyful
time of the Jews conver&s;ion and freedom, from all bondage &s;pi|ritual
and temporal: As the &s;eventh Trumpet blew down Je|richo
walls, which was the great city that hindered the Hebrews
from pa&s;&s;ing into <HI>Canaan,</HI> &s;o the &s;eventh Trumpet &s;ounding &s;hall
blow down Rome, which hinders the Jews conver&s;ion to the
Go&s;pel: the&s;e very expre&s;&s;ions you &s;hall find in <HI>E&s;ai.</HI> 11. 12, 13,
14. which &s;peaks of the calling of the Jews in the end of the Ro|man
Monarchy. This is not (as <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tome</HI> thinks) &s;poken of
the day of Judgment; for that day Chri&s;t would not have us cu|rious
in &s;earching after: but this Chri&s;t would have us diligently
to inquire after, and therefore gives us a parable from the Fig|tree,
to a&s;&s;ure us, that by the precedent &s;imptome, <HI>viz.</HI> of &s;ubtil de|ceivers,
and bla&s;phemous hereticks, and cruel per&s;ecutors of the
true Church, we may as certainly conclude, that this day
drawes nigh, as we may be certain the Summers coming,
when we &s;ee the trees bud forth and blo&s;&s;ome: Indeed <HI>v.</HI> 36. he
&s;aith, that <HI>of that day and houre knoweth no man,</HI> but what day and
houre is that? 'Tis the day and houre of the heaven and earths
pa&s;&s;ing away, that is, of the day of Judgment, that the Angells
know not; but of the day of powring out the Vialls on Rome,
and on the enemies of the Church, and of the Jews conver&s;ion, I
<PB N="64" REF="39">
am confident it is cleerly held out in Scripture.</P>
<P>Having laid down the&s;e things, to prove that the Witne&s;&s;es ri|&s;ing,
the Bea&s;ts ruine, the Vialls powring out, and the Jews con|ver&s;ion
&s;hall be neer together: For a &s;tronger confirmation, we
may bring two texts, <HI>Rev.</HI> 11. 15. the &s;eventh Trumpet &s;ounds, and
then the Vialls are powred out; there the &s;eventh trumpet be|gins
Romes ruine: and <HI>Rev.</HI> 10. 7. when the &s;eventh Angell &s;hall
&s;ound, the my&s;tery of God &s;hall be fini&s;hed, that is, the my&s;tery
that <HI>Paul</HI> would not have the Roman Church ignorant of, <HI>Rom.</HI>
11. 25. If this be meant of Gods work again&s;t Antichri&s;t, then the
&s;eventh trumpet fini&s;heth, as well as begins Romes ruine: Com|pare
it with <HI>Rev.</HI> 16. 17. The &s;eventh Viall is powred into the
ayre, that is on the Devills kingdom, who is the Prince of the
ayre, for the &s;even Vialls are powred out, either on the earth,
that's the &s;eat of the Bea&s;t of the Earth; or on the &s;ea; and rivers,
and Sun, and throne, that is, the Pontifick State, which hath ma|ny
&s;trong holds and politick props to uphold it: the Sea, that is
the Eccle&s;ia&s;tick &s;tate, that's the Popes place, on this the vials mu&s;t
be powred, or els on the ayre, that's the Devills Kingdome: &s;o
that the &s;even Vialls &s;et forth the complete conque&s;t that God
will make over all his enemies, which in <HI>Rev.</HI> 19. is more cleerly
de&s;cribed, where Chri&s;t goeth forth to battell again&s;t his ene|mies.
The parties that fight this battell again&s;t Chri&s;t, are tho&s;e
that are under the Bea&s;t of the Earth; for <HI>Rev.</HI> 17. 13, 14. tho&s;e
ten horns rule as Kings, but are not Kings, who with one con&s;ent
give their power and authority unto the Bea&s;t. the&s;e &s;hall fight
with the Lamb, and the Lamb &s;hall overcome them; for he is the
<HI>Lord of lords,</HI> and <HI>King of kings,</HI> and they on his &s;ide, called, and
cho&s;en, and faithfull: this Lamb is the &s;ame that fights the great
battell, <HI>Rev.</HI> 19. for <HI>v.</HI> 16. he hath the &s;ame title of honor, the
<HI>King of kings</HI> and <HI>Lord of lords,</HI> that is, making good his promi|&s;es
which he hath made both to the Jews and Gentiles, he will
now make him&s;elf known by his name <HI>Jehovah,</HI> not only making,
but fulfilling promi&s;es; and, which is worth ob&s;erving, here you
&s;ee Chri&s;t <HI>v.</HI> 15. treading the wine-pre&s;&s;e of the fiercene&s;&s;e and
wrath of God almighty, as in <HI>Rev.</HI> 14. 19. where when Chri&s;t
comes again&s;t the Bea&s;t of the Earth with his &s;ickle, he u&s;eth the
&s;ame expre&s;&s;ion, to note, 'tis one and the &s;ame Bea&s;t both here
<PB N="65" REF="39">
and there. In <HI>Rev.</HI> 19. 19. there <HI>Iohn</HI> &s;aw the Bea&s;t, and the Kings
of the earth and their ho&s;ts gathered together to make battell a|gain&s;t
him that &s;ate on the hor&s;e, and again&s;t his army: it may be
this Bea&s;t is that in <HI>Rev.</HI> 17. which is the Bea&s;t of the Earth, <HI>Rev.</HI>
13. 11. and the Kings of the earth are tho&s;e ten horns, <HI>Rev.</HI> 17. 12.
which gave their power to the Bea&s;t, and <HI>v.</HI> 14. make war with
the Lamb: By Bea&s;t is meant the Bea&s;t of the Sea, who by his E|mi&s;&s;aries
and Polititians promotes a war, &amp; pro&s;ecutes it with all
vigor and malice again&s;t Chri&s;t and his faithfull people, and &s;o
&s;tirs up the Kings of the earth, to make war with them;
Ob&s;erve, in this battell the Bea&s;t is taken, and with him that
fal&s;e Prophet which deceived them that received the Bea&s;ts
mark, and them that wor&s;hipped his Image; the&s;e, in this battell
were both ca&s;t alive into the lake that burnes with fire and
brim&s;tone, that is, de&s;troyed with a terrible de&s;truction: I cannot,
I dare not peremptorily &s;ay where this battel &s;hall be fought, but
certainly it mu&s;t be where the Witne&s;&s;es are &s;lain, and where the
Bea&s;t of the Earth &s;ets up his new Government; for when the
victory was got, it was got over the Bea&s;t, and the image of the
Bea&s;t. And <HI>Rev.</HI> 20. 4. After this victory the Witne&s;&s;es that were
beheaded for Chri&s;ts cau&s;e, the &s;ame Offices were exalted, and the
Mini&s;tery that &s;uffered for not wor&s;hipping the image, and re|ceiving
his mark, the&s;e al&s;o were exalted, therefore this battell
mu&s;t be fought by the Witne&s;&s;es, Chri&s;t being the conqueror (for
in this battel the Lords mighty hand &s;hall eminently appear) and
it mu&s;t be fought again&s;t the Bea&s;t of the Earth, and his party:
now the Bea&s;t of the Earth hath &s;et up his new government no
where but in <HI>England, Ireland,</HI> and <HI>Scotland:</HI> in <HI>Scotland</HI> he is
now endeavouring to &s;et it up. That this great Battel, and the
Vials pouring forth are one and the &s;ame thing, to me is cleer.
Fir&s;t, From the actors and parties on both &s;ides, who are the &s;ame
both in pouring out the Vialls, and fighting the Battel; and the&s;e
act at the &s;ame time for <HI>Rev.</HI> 15. 5. When the Temple in heaven
was opened, then the Angels came forth in white linnen to pour
out their Vialls; and in <HI>Rev.</HI> 19. 11. (where the great Battel is
fought) <HI>John</HI> &s;aw Heaven opened, and Chri&s;t on a white hor&s;e,
who <HI>(Rev.14. 14.)</HI> he &s;aw in a white cloud, and his Army clothed
in white linnen, <HI>Rev.</HI> 15. 6. He treads the Vine-pre&s;&s;es of Gods
<PB N="66" REF="40">
fierce wrath by the <HI>&s;word of his mouth, Rev.</HI> 19. 15. and <HI>Rev.</HI> 14. 14,
20 he treads it with a &s;harp &s;ickle: By all which 'tis apparent,
that neither the Vialls, nor this Battel, are to be fought untill the
Witne&s;&s;es put off their &s;ackcloth, and put on their white linnen;
and then by the &s;ame parties, at the &s;ame time, both are accom|pli&s;hed,
which indeed are both one and the &s;ame thing in action,
though &s;everal wayes expre&s;&s;ed for the cleering of the thing to
the under&s;tanding of the Reader; For as the cutting down of the
Vine, and the pre&s;&s;ing of it in the Vine-pre&s;s, notes the utter pa&s;|&s;ing
away of the Vine and the Vintage: So doth that other ex|pre&s;&s;ion
of ca&s;ting the Bea&s;t of the Earth into the Lake that burns
with fire and brim&s;tone, &s;ignifie his utter ruine: and this is cleer by
another argument, taken from the parties again&s;t which the Bat|tel
is fought, and the Vialls are poured out, they are the &s;elf-&s;ame
Enemies <HI>(viz.)</HI> the Bea&s;t of the Earth, the Bea&s;t of the Sea, and
the Prince of the Ayr, and their Kingdoms; the&s;e (as we have
&s;hewed already, are the Objects of the Vialls, and the Enemies
which Chri&s;t overcomes, <HI>Rev.</HI> 18. 19, 20. &amp; <HI>Rev. 20. 3.)</HI> are the Bea&s;t
of the Sea, the fal&s;e prophet which is the Bea&s;t of the Earth, and
the Prince of the Ayr, which is called the Dragon, the old Ser|pent;
now they are at one time al&s;o, <HI>Rev.</HI> 16. 16. when the ene|mies
come to <HI>Harmaggaddan</HI> to battel, then the &s;even Vials, which
is the final wrath of God, goe forth in thundering, and voices,
and earth-quakes; and the great victory is expre&s;&s;ed, by ca&s;ting
alive, both the Bea&s;t and the fal&s;e Prophet, into the burning Lake,
and chaining the Devil in Hell 1000 years.</P>
<P>This great Battel cannot be fought before nor after the Vialls
be poured out, <HI>ergo,</HI> they mu&s;t be both at one time.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Not before the vials be powred forth, becau&s;e this great
Battel utterly confounds the&s;e three chief Enemies of the church;
the Devil who &s;ets up the Pope, who keeps the Witne&s;&s;es in &s;ack|cloth;
and the Pope who &s;ets up the Bea&s;t of the Earth, who
&s;lays the Witne&s;&s;es; and the Bea&s;t of the Earth who doth uphold
the Popes and the Devils Kingdom: Therefore I conceive the
great Battel &s;hall be fought again&s;t him, in who&s;e ruine the De|vil
and the Popes Kingdom &s;hall be overthrown; and that's the
rea&s;on, I conceive, why after this great Battel, <HI>Rev.</HI> 19. 20. 'tis &s;aid
that the Bea&s;t, that is, the Pope was taken, when onely the fal&s;e
<PB N="67" REF="40">
Prophet &s;ought in per&s;on, and was ruined: becau&s;e in the fal&s;e
Prophets (who is the Bea&s;t of the Earth) cau&s;e the Pope is mo&s;t
nearly concerned. Farewell Popery in the&s;e three Kingdoms for
ever, when once the Bea&s;t of the Earth goeth to ruine: all the Sta|tutes
&s;hall be in force then again&s;t Popery, w^c^h are now repealed,
<HI>E&s;a.</HI> 59. 18. This is the day of repaying vengeance to tho&s;e I&s;lands;
the Pope &s;hall be utterly ruined in <HI>Scotland, England,</HI> and <HI>Ireland:</HI>
but now if the&s;e Enemies &s;hould be de&s;troyed before the Vialls
be powred out, then Vialls mu&s;t be powred out in vain, for
the&s;e three are the onely Enemies of the Church; and when they
are overcome, there are none to &s;tand again&s;t the Church; the
re&s;t &s;hall fear, and give glory to God.</P>
<P>I do not believe, for my part, that the Turk &s;hall be de&s;troyed
by the &s;word, <HI>non credo quia non lego</HI> (as <HI>Augustine</HI> &s;aith) I do
not find it any where in Scripture, that they &s;hall be de&s;troyed
by the &s;word, unle&s;s they be put under the Devils Banners (as
well they may) and &s;o be de&s;troyed with the Devil: But my
hope is, that their Religion onely &s;hall be de&s;troyed, and they
brought in by a mighty conver&s;ion to the Go&s;pel: my rea&s;on is,
becau&s;e both the <HI>Hebrecians</HI> and <HI>Grecians</HI> are in&s;laved mo&s;t to the
Pope in &s;piritual thraldom: therefore the Pope is called both
<HI>Abaddon</HI> and <HI>Apallion:</HI> now when the Pope &s;hall be ruined, both
Jews and Gentiles &s;hall come in to Chri&s;t with more glory and
fulne&s;s then ever, which may be in the de&s;truction of the We&s;tern
Antichri&s;tian Gentiles; but not in the Ea&s;tern Gentiles de&s;tru|ction,
but glorious conver&s;ion. A remnant onely of the Antichri|&s;tian
Faction &s;hall be converted, <HI>Rev.</HI> 11. 13.</P>
<P>Secondly, This Battel cannot be fought after the Vialls are
powred out, for the Vials produce the utter ruine of the Enemies
of the Church: Now if the Battel &s;hould be after the Enemies of
the Church are overthrown, it mu&s;t nece&s;&s;arily be a Battel with
the Ayr, (as we &s;ay) there are no Enemies to be &s;ubdued; all's
fini&s;hed when the Vials are powred out: Therefore by nece&s;&s;ary
con&s;equence it is cleer, that the great Battel, and the Vials, are one
and the &s;ame thing. Now then put all together, if the Vials and
the Battel be the &s;ame, and this Battel mu&s;t be fought by the Wit|ne&s;&s;es,
and their Army, with whom Chri&s;t by his mighty power
will eminently go forth: (for in no other &s;ence is Chri&s;t coming
on a white hor&s;e to be taken) and the&s;e mu&s;t appear in fine and
<PB N="68" REF="41">
white linnen, which is contrary to &s;ackcloth which in till then,
they were, and at this Battel the Bea&s;t, and the fal&s;e Prophet, and
the Dragon, mu&s;t be ruined.</P>
<P>Then I prove that this Battel is not far off, and that from the
Doctors own calculations in his Thank&s;giving Sermon: There
he proves to my hand from <HI>Rev.</HI> 13. 5. that Antichri&s;t began his
42 Moneths Raign, which makes up 1260 years; which is the time
of the Witne&s;&s;es abiding in the Wilderne&s;s, and in Sackcloth:
Now (&s;aith he) Antichri&s;t began to work and act vigorou&s;ly about
the year 390 after Chri&s;t; I do believe this of the Doctors to be
a reall truth; and for confirmation of the &s;ame, I will add one
word or two.</P>
<P>I do affirm, that about that year, 390. the Bi&s;hop of Rome be|gan
to be formally Antichri&s;t; for then they began to claim an
independent power as unto the Magi&s;tracy and Mini&s;tery: He
claimed a priviledge of being exempted from the cen&s;ures of
Councels, as being above them; for he made the Ea&s;tern Coun|cels
but his Sons, and he their Father; and Sons have not power
to cen&s;ure their Father: and then they began to overlook Em|perours,
to excommunicate them, to depo&s;e them, and to free
them&s;elves from their cen&s;ures. Hereupon the Magi&s;tracy and
Mini&s;tery were in a &s;hort time brought under the Popes feet, and
made to wear &s;ackcloth, and then the Church fled into the place
prepared of God for her, <HI>Re<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">.</HI> 12. 6. which place is <HI>England,</HI> as
&s;hall be proved.</P>
<P>The Devils &s;tratagems of &s;etting up Independency in the
Chair of Rome, was the Key of the bottomle&s;s pit which the De|vil
put into the Popes hands: and it is indeed the <HI>formalis ratio
Antichri&s;ti;</HI> for Independency &s;et the Bi&s;hops of Rome above
Magi&s;tracy and above Mini&s;tery; above mans Law, and above
Scriptures; and Gods Law, as their <HI>Decretals</HI> manife&s;t: therefore
<HI>Paul 2 The&s;&s;.</HI> 2. &s;ets him out to the life, <HI>ver. 4. He oppo&s;eth him|&s;elf
above all that is called God, above every Magi&s;trate; and then
he, as God, &s;its in the Temple of God,</HI> that is, <HI>in the Church of God;</HI>
for Rome was for a long time the pure&s;t Church: Now in this
Church the Independent Prelate &s;its as God, making Laws like a
God: None but God hath an Independent power, but the
Pope he takes upon him an Independent liberty, and authority
and priviledge of him&s;elf; and by him&s;elf alone, and without any
<PB N="69" REF="41">
other, he takes upon him to alter Scripture, add to Scripture, and
detract from it: in this he &s;ets him&s;elf even above God, and &s;o is
the true Antichri&s;t. Now this Independent power, the Bi&s;hop
of Rome began to put in practice about the year 390. to which
add the ju&s;t mea&s;ure of the time of this Antichri&s;ts raign, which is
1260 years, and it makes compleatly 1650.</P>
<P>The other pertinent place which the Doctor alledgeth is, <HI>Dan.
12. 11. from the time the daily &s;acrifice &s;hall be taken away, there &s;hall
be 1290 dayes,</HI> (that is years) now about the year 360. that de&s;tru|ctive
abomination of ruining their Temples foundation, over|turning
their Altars, and de&s;troying their Sacrifices, and burning
their Uten&s;els, and &s;o putting to an end their Sacrifices, began:
now add to 360. 1290. and it makes 1650. Now this year 1650.
(&s;aith the Doctor) mu&s;t be the great year of doing great things
again&s;t Antichri&s;t, <HI>pag.</HI> 17. He calls wi&s;e men to con&s;ider, how
here in <HI>England</HI> there hath been a King bound, and &s;ome Nobles,
(he means beheaded) and how Kingdoms have been changed in|to
Common-wealths; and how <HI>Scotland</HI> hath been beaten over
and over, he leaves wi&s;e men to con&s;ider, whether the&s;e are not
high acts of throwing down Antichri&s;t: The&s;e acts he calleth <HI>pag.
18.)</HI> the making good of his Doctrine; and upon that account,
exhorts the people to prai&s;e God, for cutting off the King, and
throwing down the Hou&s;e of Lords; and from <HI>pag.</HI> 25. to <HI>pag.</HI> 27.
or thereabouts, he &s;ets up a tone of rayling in the mo&s;t
ridiculou&s;e&s;t &s;tyle, and weake&s;t way of arguing again&s;t the Prote|&s;tants
of <HI>England,</HI> for not keeping the Thank&s;giving day, that I
am a&s;hamed our Engli&s;h Nation &s;hould be &s;o much di&s;graced, as
to have the Title of Doctor &s;et before it. In <HI>pag.</HI> 32. he tells the
Lord Major, and the re&s;t of the Companies, That they mu&s;t not
onely as Saints give thanks; but as people con&s;idered in oppo&s;ite
di&s;tinction to Kings, Monarchy being turned into Democracy,
Kingdoms into Common-wealths. This Democracie he highly
commends, and in the &s;ame page with a Whores (or rather with
a Whore-ma&s;ters) fore-head, affirms this mo&s;t andacious and no|torious
untruth, That this government was anciently among the
Jews in the time of the Judges: I have already proved this
Doctor to be a Teacher of fal&s;e Doctrines; therefore I pa&s;s by
the&s;e things, onely I would intreat the Reader to take notice
how under the pretence of crying down Antichri&s;t, there are &s;ub|till
<PB N="70" REF="42">
deceivers not onely crept in, but ru&s;hed in; and by authority
maintained, allowed, and u&s;hered in, to depre&s;s and de&s;troy the
true Saints and Church of God, by &s;tigmatizing them with the
mark of Antichri&s;tiani&s;m, and to exalt and extoll the actors and
actions of the&s;e who&s;e de&s;ign is wholly to exalt Antichri&s;t: Was
it ever heard before, that Prote&s;tants made a day of rejoycing for
the fall of a Prote&s;tant Nation, and a Prote&s;tant King? Who truly
rejoyceth at this but Rome, and the Romi&s;h Factors? Il'e &s;ay
no more to this, but return to the Doctors Calculations; and out
of his own mouth, by Gods grace, I hope to make it cleer, that
what he calls the throwing down of Antichri&s;t, is the &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">aying of
the Witne&s;&s;es; and the&s;e which he calls the Saints, and Holy
Ones, are they that are the &s;layers of the Witne&s;&s;es.</P>
<P>The Doctor is &s;trongly conceited, that this year 1650. &s;hall be
a year of terrible things again&s;t Rome: his grounds for it are
plau&s;ible, I do confe&s;s it, and I am upon the &s;ame grounds as con|fident
as he, That Rome &s;hall have a fatall blow immediatly after
this year: I know many are ready to laugh at this opinion, and
&s;ay, Was Rome ever in greater pomp then now? When did
ever Rome's De&s;igns pro&s;per more then now throughout Eu|rope?
Is it not a year of Jubilee, a year of fea&s;ting and rejoy|cing
with Rome, how then can it be imagined, that Rome &s;hould
have a fatal blow about this year? To this I an&s;wer briefly,
Rome's pro&s;perity is that great Sumptome of her ruine; for <HI>Rev.</HI>
18. 7. Her ruine &s;hall come in that day that &s;he thought her &s;elf
mo&s;t &s;ecure, <HI>How much &s;he hath gloried her &s;elf, and lived deliciou&s;ly,
&s;o much torment give her; for &s;he &s;aith in her heart, I &s;it a Queen, and
am no Widow, and &s;hall &s;ee no &s;orrow. Therefore &s;hall her plagues come
in one day, death, and mourning, and famine, and &s;he &s;hall be utterly
burnt with fire.</HI> In the&s;e two ver&s;es the Holy Gho&s;t u&s;eth this as
a &s;trong Argument, to per&s;wade us, that Rome's ruine &s;hall be
when the World lea&s;t expects it. Ob&s;erve what the Lovers of
Rome &s;ay in <HI>ver&s;. 9, 10. They &s;hall weep, and cry, Alas! Alas!
thou great City, for in one hour is thy judgment come.</HI> By all which
'tis manife&s;t, that Rome's ruine &s;hall be &s;uddain, and unexpected;
and therefore 'tis an argument, that Rome's ruine is nigh, becau&s;e
of her pomp and great pro&s;perity. I'le bring another proof
for it in <HI>Rev. 11. 9, 10. It &s;hall be a time of merry making and feast|ing.</HI>
<PB N="71" REF="42">
I am almo&s;t per&s;waded that the Holy Gho&s;t points at the
year of Jubilee that is now at Rome, to note to us, That when the
&s;lain Witne&s;&s;es &s;hall be dead in the &s;treets, and unburied, then
Rome &s;hall keep a year of fea&s;ting and rejoycing; which year of
fea&s;ting, is this pre&s;ent year, 1650. Now they are making merry,
that a Prote&s;tant Parliament, a Prote&s;tant King, and a Prote&s;tant
Mini&s;tery, are overthrown: but mark what follows on a &s;uddain,
tho&s;e Witne&s;&s;es, that Prote&s;tant Magi&s;tracy, and Prote&s;tant Mi|ni&s;tery,
&s;tand on their feet, and then comes the Earth-quake,
which &s;hakes their Enemies to the ground: So that the day of
Rome's rejoycing doth but u&s;her in Rome's ruine: And there|fore
pro&s;perity and &s;ucce&s;s &s;o much cryed up by this Antichri&s;tian
Doctor, is an argument, to me, of their &s;peedy ruine. Would but
the Doctor read <HI>Rev.</HI> 11. 7, 15. wi&s;ely, he might &s;ee him&s;elf with
&s;hame, acting the part of one of Antichri&s;ts Mini&s;ters: I perceive
he knows well that Antichri&s;ts raign is neer at an end; he that
knows that, cannot (if he &s;earch diligently) but &s;ee in <HI>Rev.</HI> 11. 7.
that three years and an half before the Pope's ruine, a Bea&s;t &s;hall
ari&s;e, and &s;lay the Witne&s;&s;es that have fini&s;hed their Te&s;timony,
that is, a godly Magi&s;tracy and Mini&s;tery; when they had agreed
to root out Popery, and e&s;tabli&s;h uniformity in Doctrine, Di&s;ci|pline
and government, this Bea&s;t that doth the&s;e things again&s;t
the Witne&s;&s;es, he cannot but &s;ee is he that ri&s;eth after the ten
Kings &s;ubject to Rome: he ri&s;eth (&s;ay Interpreters) in the end
of the Roman Monarchy, and throwes down three of the King|doms,
and changes lawes, and times, and wears out the Saints,
three years and an half, the &s;elf-&s;ame that &s;layes the Winte&s;&s;es,
<HI>Rev.</HI> 11. 7. and after that he and his crew keep thank&s;giving days,
that they that hindered them in their de&s;ignes (they &s;ay ob&s;truct|ed
ju&s;tice) are removed, one of this crew, and one of the&s;e An|tichri&s;tian
Bea&s;ts the Doctor proves him&s;elf. This Bea&s;t, I have
already proved, is an Independent, and pulls down the lawfull
Magi&s;tracy and Mini&s;tery, and &s;ets up his own Preachers, and his
own government: We have &s;hewed his government in <HI>Rev.</HI> 13.
and in <HI>Dan.</HI> 11. 37. 'tis the god <HI>Mauzim,</HI> that is, a government
that he &s;ets up by the power of his &s;word, a &s;word force: Now
I prove that this power of forces was &s;et up in or about Septem|ber
in the year 1647. for then did the Bea&s;t of the Earth
<PB N="72" REF="43">
get the Navie into his hands, and all the Land Forces
throughout the Kingdom, either to disband them, or com|mand
them; he got all the &s;trong Holds and Ca&s;tles in the
Kingdom under his command; and about the &s;ame time he laid
violent hands on the Kings Maj. and clapped his royal per&s;on up
in pri&s;on, &s;uffering no man to come neere him; and about that
time made an a&s;&s;ault upon the Parl. impri&s;oned &s;ome of the Peers,
&s;ome of the chief Citizens of <HI>London,</HI> and &s;ome of the Hou&s;e
of Commons, inforcing others of the mo&s;t noble of the Hou&s;e
of Commons to flie, and &s;et up his own ingaged Party in the
Hou&s;e, to over-top the others: Here began the Bea&s;t to reign,
and here began the &s;laughter of the Witne&s;&s;es, all which was a|bout
September or October 1647. By which account we &s;hall
bring it almo&s;t even with the Doctors, that this Bea&s;t that ri&s;eth
out of the bottomle&s;&s;e pit, and &s;layes the Witne&s;&s;es, the time of
his reigne mu&s;t be con&s;ummate &s;oon after the end of this yeare
1650. for then his three years reign is up, and then the time of
the Witne&s;&s;es lying &s;lain is up, and then they mu&s;t ri&s;e, and then
the Vialls mu&s;t be poured out, and the earthquake will come up|on
the enemies, and then the Bea&s;t and the fal&s;e Prophet &s;hall be
ca&s;t alive into the burning lake.</P>
<P>I verily believe that we are near to that prophetick great day
prophe&s;ied of in the old Te&s;tament: In the old Te&s;tament
'tis called a great Day, and &s;o 'tis called in the new Te|&s;tament,
<HI>Rev.</HI> 16. the battell again&s;t the enemies of the Church is
called <HI>the battell of the great day of God almighty,</HI> that is, of the
great year of God; God will do great things for the Hebrews
this year, both for the ten Tribes, and the two Tribes. Great
things will he do for the Gentiles this year, and terrible great
things will he do again&s;t his enemies. This day is called <HI>Ho&s;. 1. 10.
the great day,</HI> What day is that? the Context tells us, 'tis the
day of the conver&s;ion of both Tribes, and uniting them under
Chri&s;t. In <HI>Obadiah</HI> 15. 'tis called <HI>the day of the Lord upon all the
heathen:</HI> God will plague the enemies of the Church, <HI>ver&s;e</HI>
16. but <HI>ver&s;e 17. on mount Sion &s;hall be deliverance,</HI> to note
this day is the day of rendring vengeance on <HI>Rome, Rev.</HI> 18. and
of &s;aving mount Sion, deliverance &s;hall be there, <HI>Rev.</HI> 14. 1. for
<PB N="73" REF="43">
the Lamb &s;tands on <HI>Mount Sion,</HI> and all his &s;ealed Ones with
him: in <HI>Zach.</HI> 14. (for I can multiply proofes from every one of
the Prophets which illu&s;trate this day) I mean to &s;it down and
give the Reader a view of this Day of the year 1650. by the Do|ctors
and my account, as <HI>Zach.</HI> 14. de&s;cribes it, he gives us a full
view of this Day: He calls it the Day of the Lord, <HI>ver.</HI> 1. But
what &s;hall be done in that day? in general the &s;poil (meaning the
Churches &s;poyl) &s;hould be divided in the mid&s;t of her, <HI>ver. 2. For I
will gather all Nations again&s;t</HI> Jeru&s;alem <HI>to battel, and the City &s;hall
be taken, and the hou&s;es rifled, and the women ravi&s;hed, and half of the
City &s;hall go forth into captivity, and the re&s;idue of the people &s;hall not
be cut off from the City.</HI> Here is a particular Narration of the
Churches affliction in this day: This mu&s;t be under&s;tood (&s;aith
<HI>Diodate)</HI> of the &s;pirituall and corporall Wars which Antichri&s;t
&s;hall make again&s;t the Church. I do believe this Expo&s;ition to
be really true; for as he &s;aith, God &s;hall &s;uffer a great part of his
Church to be di&s;comfited and &s;ubdued, <HI>Rev.</HI> 11. 7. as <HI>Diodate</HI> is ex|cellent
in his <HI>Annotations,</HI> &s;o on this text he is mo&s;t excellent: for
he turns us to the right place, to find out the Enemy, that afflicts
the Church with this &s;ore affliction; and that is in <HI>Rev.</HI> 11. 7. the
Bea&s;t that &s;lays the Witne&s;&s;es; &amp; <HI>Dan.</HI> 7. 25. wears out the Saints;
he makes war with them, and overcomes them; <HI>Cornelius &egrave; Lapide,</HI>
in one &s;en&s;e, under&s;tands this in <HI>Zachary,</HI> of Antichri&s;ts tyranny
over the Church: &s;o that this ver&s;e gives a de&s;cription of the
Bea&s;ts tyranny that &s;layes the Witne&s;&s;es: Indeed &s;ome of the
Rabbins under&s;tand it literally of <HI>Antiochus</HI> rifling <HI>Jeru&s;alem;</HI>
but their <GAP DESC="foreign"> are not <GAP DESC="foreign">, therefore we pa&s;s them:
of all men <HI>Oecolampadius</HI> comes neere&s;t the &s;en&s;e of this text in
the explication; he paralels the fir&s;t ver&s;e with <HI>Matth.</HI> 24. which
&s;peaks of the great tribulation of the Church towards the end of
the world, <HI>per Antichri&s;t, ver.</HI> 2. By <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> he under&s;tands the
vi&s;ible Church of true Believers, by all Nations, or Gentiles He
chiefly under&s;tands <HI>Antichri&s;t,</HI> who &s;ubdues poor &s;oules, by the
in&s;naring of their con&s;ciences in his Trap of Deceit, and Fetters of
Tyranny: &s;o he under&s;tands the taking of the City, <HI>Sicut enim
milites domus deva&s;tant, virgines &s;tuprant, ita Antichri&s;tus Christi
&s;pon&s;as anima&s;&abque; vitiat.</HI> This text agrees with that kind of Go|vernment
the Bea&s;t &s;ets up, <HI>Rev.</HI> 13. 11, 17. and with the actions of
<PB N="74" REF="44">
that King, <HI>Dan. 11. 36, 37, 41. He &s;hall enter into the glorious Land,
and many &s;hall be overthrown by him:</HI> and <HI>ver. 39. He &s;hall divide
the Land for gain:</HI> There's the &s;poyl divided: this is a type of
the affliction the Go&s;pel-Church &s;hall be in, when &s;he is going out
of <HI>Babylon</HI> to a Reformation: It &s;hall be a day wherein all the&s;e
Vipers of Hell &s;hall appear; which <HI>Paul</HI> tells us of, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3. 12.
3, 4, 5, 6. Rebels and Traytors, Hereticks and Bla&s;phemers, who a&s;|&s;ault
Government as a Town, and rifle the glory of a Kingdom, as
a City taken by &s;torm. They commit &s;piritual Rapes, by leading
&s;illy women captive after their here&s;ies: Therefore Chri&s;t tells
us, <HI>Mat.</HI> 24. it &s;hall be a time of tribulation with the Church; for
fal&s;e Chri&s;ts, and fal&s;e Prophets &s;hall deceive many, the Church of
God &s;hall be mi&s;erably torn, as a City taken by &s;torm; but what
follows? Then &s;hall the Lord go forth and fight again&s;t tho&s;e
Nations, as when he fought in the day of battel, and his feet &s;hall
&s;tand (in <HI>ver. 3.)</HI> that day upon the <HI>Mount of Olives; in eo loco</HI> (&s;aith
<HI>Oecolampadius) ubi p&s;eudochri&s;ti pravaluerunt, ibi veniet Domi|nus
in maje&s;tate:</HI> So that we mu&s;t look for the ri&s;ing of the Wit|ne&s;&s;es
in that Kingdom, where fal&s;e Chri&s;ts, and fal&s;e Prophets
prevail: this learned man is mi&s;taken, in that he applies it to the
Day of Judgment. Ob&s;erve how this &s;uits with <HI>Rev.</HI> 13. 11. to the
end, and <HI>Rev.</HI> 14. 1. After the Holy Gho&s;t had de&s;cribed the Ty|ranny
of the Bea&s;t in <HI>Rev.</HI> 13. immediatly follows, <HI>Rev. 14. 1. Chri&s;t
standing on Mount Zion with his &s;ealed Ones; and here you &s;ee him
&s;tanding on Mount Olivet.</HI></P>
<P>This is that day which the Church of the Jews, I mean the god|ly
Jews, longed to &s;ee. The&s;e feet of Chri&s;ts <HI>Solomon</HI> in his Song
commends, and <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 52. 7. There the Church admiring, &s;aith; <HI>How
beautiful upon the Mountains are the feet of him that bringeth glad
tydings;</HI> that is, <HI>Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>I conceive by <HI>feet,</HI> are meant the Witne&s;&s;es, which <HI>Rev.</HI> 10. 1, 2.
are called Chri&s;ts right foot, and left foot; for they are the In|&s;truments
that Chri&s;t makes u&s;e of for the propagating the Go&s;|pel&punc;
It cannot be meant literally of Chri&s;ts feet, but of a godly
Magi&s;tracy and Mini&s;tery, which the Lord &s;hall eminently pro|mote,
<HI>Rev. 11. 11&punc;</HI> by re&s;toring them to that condition they were
in when they fini&s;hed their Te&s;timony, immediatly before the
Bea&s;t of the Earth &s;lew them; yea to a far higher &s;tate.</P>
<P><PB N="75" REF="44">
God &s;hall &s;et the Magi&s;tracy in the Throne again, and Mini|&s;tery
in their places again; they &s;hall &s;tand on their feet again;
they &s;hall be higher in power and greatne&s;s then ever they were:
therefore <HI>ver.</HI> 12. they are &s;aid to be called up to Heaven. Ob|&s;erve;
as the Bea&s;t that &s;lew the Witne&s;&s;es and his party, brought
the Witne&s;&s;es into as much di&s;grace as might be, <HI>ver.</HI> 9. in not &s;uf|fering
their dead bodies to be buried; that is, u&s;ing them with the
highe&s;t acts of in&s;ulting cruelty: For the expre&s;&s;ion (as I con|ceive)
is taken from in&s;ulting Warriours, whom in a vaporing
bravado, to &s;hew how much they di&s;dain their Enemy, and how
ba&s;ely they e&s;teem of him, tell him, they'l give his body to the
Fowls of the Ayr; that is, di&s;dain to give him the honour of a
burial; thou &s;halt die as a Dog. In the great Duel fought betwixt
<HI>David</HI> and <HI>Goliah</HI> before they fought, you &s;hall find the&s;e in|&s;ulting
expre&s;&s;ions proceeding from each of them to the other,
in the 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 17. 44. &s;aid the <HI>Phili&s;tin</HI> to <HI>David, Come to me, I
will give thy fle&s;h to the Fowls of the Ayr, and the Bea&s;ts of the
Field.</HI> The &s;elf-&s;ame &s;aith <HI>David</HI> to <HI>Goliah, ver.</HI> 46. They could
not throw more indignominious expre&s;&s;ions into the face of
each other then the&s;e: Now this is practi&s;ed again&s;t the Wit|ne&s;&s;es
by the Bea&s;t and his party that &s;layes them: but as their
cruelty towards them is exceeding, &s;o &s;hall their honour in their
exaltation be exceeding; and their enemies repayed with the
&s;ame ignominy and reproach, <HI>Rev. 18. 6. Reward her as &s;he hath
rewarded you:</HI> How is that? Why he gave their carca&s;&s;es to the
Fowls of the Ayr; and the Witne&s;&s;es mu&s;t now give the Bea&s;t
and his Army's carca&s;&s;es to the Fowls of the Ayr: and therefore,
<HI>Rev. 19. 11. When Chri&s;t rides on his white hor&s;e,</HI> and <HI>ver. 14. his
Army followes him on white hor&s;es</HI> (the&s;e are the Witne&s;&s;es ri&s;en)
and when the Kings of the Earth and their Armies gather toge|ther
(as in <HI>Zech.</HI> 14. 2. they do; for 'tis one and the &s;ame battel)
then Chri&s;t, <HI>ver.</HI> 17, 18. calls the Fowls to a great Supper, even to
the carca&s;&s;es of his Enemies. Here Chri&s;t payes them home in
their own coyn; they would not &s;uffer the Witne&s;&s;es to be laid
in grave, and God will not &s;uffer them to be put in grave, for the
Fowls &s;hall eat them: this Battel in <HI>Zech.</HI> 14. 3. and <HI>Rev.</HI> 19. is one
and the &s;ame, becau&s;e 'tis fought by the &s;ame per&s;on Chri&s;t, and
<PB N="76" REF="45">
the &s;ame Army, and in the &s;ame place, and at the &s;ame time as we
&s;hall make manife&s;t.</P>
<P>This battel &s;hall be fought when Chri&s;ts feet &s;tand on <HI>Mount
Olivet:</HI> the great que&s;tion is, What is meant by <HI>Mount Olivet,</HI> or
the <HI>Mount of Olives?</HI> Take it literaly, it was a Mount which
&s;tood on the Ea&s;t &s;ide of <HI>Jeru&s;alem;</HI> which for the goodly Olives,
and the plenty of Olives, that it yielded, it was called <HI>Mount
Olivet:</HI> This was the place of Chri&s;ts delight; there he was mo&s;t
conver&s;ant; there he preached, and there he u&s;ually re&s;orted to
pray: No Mountain in the world had &s;o much of Chri&s;ts pre|&s;ence,
and his Ordinances, as this Mountain: there Judas betrayed
him and his Di&s;ciples; there Chri&s;t appeared again after his re|&s;urrection;
his feet &s;tood on <HI>Mount Olives</HI> before he a&s;cended up
into glory: there he a&s;cended into Heaven in the &s;ight of tho&s;e
that crucified him; for that Mount looked into the &s;treets of Je|ru&s;alem,
and they in Jeru&s;alem could plainly &s;ee the Mount of
Olives.</P>
<P>Hence judicious-learned Interpreters conclude, that by Mount
Olives, in the Prophets &s;en&s;e, is meant the Church of Chri&s;t,
where the Ordinances of Chri&s;t are purely, frequently, and
powerfully taught; and where &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion to Chri&s;t, as Lord and
King, is yielded.</P>
<P>Upon this ground, <HI>Martinus</HI> applye<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">s this expre&s;&s;ion of the
Prophets to the Church of Rome, affirming <HI>Mount Olivet</HI> to be
the Church of Rome: <HI>quia ad pedis Christi &s;eip&s;os &s;ubjiciunt,</HI> be|cau&s;e
they &s;ubject them&s;elves to Chri&s;t: For Oyl (&s;ay the learned)
is an hierogliphick of &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion and &s;ubjection. <HI>Ambros,</HI> in <HI>Luke</HI>
21. expounds <HI>Mount Olivet</HI> to be the Church: Some of the highe&s;t
and chiefe&s;t of the Independents of this age, are of the &s;ame opi|nion;
and therefore do not &s;tick to &s;ay; that <HI>Mount Olivet</HI> is <HI>Eng|land,</HI>
which is the mo&s;t delightfulle&s;t place for Ordinances in the
World.</P>
<P>Since the Romani&s;t and Independent agree, and will have it
&s;o, it will be trea&s;on to gain-&s;ay them; wee'll therefore comply
as much as may be: For my own part I do believe, that by <HI>Mount
Olivet,</HI> is meant &s;ome eminent delightful place in <HI>Europe,</HI> famou<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">
above other places, for Religion, for Doctrine, for Di&s;cipline, and
Government, and for eminent Saints.</P>
<P><PB N="77" REF="45">
I do believe it is meant that place where one (like <HI>Judas)</HI> both
a Thief and a Traytor, and an Apo&s;tate, and a deceitful Hypocrite,
ri&s;eth up with his armed men, and with a ki&s;s, of pretending to
exalt Chri&s;t, and promote the intere&s;t of Saints, betrays the cau&s;e
of God, and the chief In&s;truments of a Reformation, into the
hands of the High Prie&s;t of Rome, who by his in&s;truments cru|cifies
them.</P>
<P>2. I believe it is the place whereas Chri&s;t was betrayed, &s;o
there he &s;hall ri&s;e again; for Chri&s;ts feet, after his re&s;urrection,
were &s;een &s;tanding on <HI>Mount Olivet:</HI> &s;o I do believe the Wit|ne&s;&s;es
that this Judas-like fellow &s;hall betray to death, &s;hall ri&s;e
again in the &s;ame kingdom or place; there they &s;hall &s;tand on
their feet, and be called up to Heaven, that is, to high promotion,
far above the reach of their Enemies.</P>
<P><HI>I conceive this Mount, and that in</HI> Rev. 16. 16. <HI>are one and the
&s;ame: for</HI> Harmagedon <HI>(&s;aith</HI> Brightman) <HI>&s;ignifies a Mountain of
delight: the &s;ame (&s;aith he) in</HI> Dan. 11. 45. The enemy that goes a|gain&s;t
the Church, &s;hall pitch his Tents in the glorious holy Moun|tain;
<HI>or, as in the Original,</HI> in the Mountain of delights of Holy|ne&s;s.</P>
<P>The&s;e expre&s;&s;ions of the Holy Gho&s;t, in the&s;e &s;everal places, &s;et
forth one and the &s;ame thing to us, if we view but the &s;cope of
all: for in all three places, 'tis one and the &s;ame Enemy going
forth to battel again&s;t the Lord Je&s;us in one and the &s;ame place,
and at one and the &s;ame time, and produceth one and the &s;ame
effects; for in <HI>Dan.</HI> 11. the Enemy goeth to utter ruine by the
coming of Chri&s;t, <HI>Dan.</HI> 12. 1. &amp; <HI>Rev.</HI> 16. 16. that battel produceth
the &s;eventh Viall which fini&s;heth all; and in <HI>Zach. 14. 3. Chri&s;t &s;hall
fight in that day, as when he fought in the day of battel:</HI> when ever
Chri&s;t fought a battel he ruined his Enemies; &s;o will he here, as
in <HI>Judg. 7. E&s;ay</HI> 9. 4. Now if the Romani&s;ts and Independents
will give me leave to joyn <HI>Scotland</HI> and <HI>England,</HI> once united (ac|cur&s;ed
be he that was the cau&s;e of their &s;eparation) I will comply
with them, and conclude, that the&s;e two Kingdoms are the <HI>Mount
of Olives,</HI> where Chri&s;ts feet &s;hall &s;tand in the day of battel; 'tis
that place where the Witne&s;&s;es were betrayed and &s;lain, and that
place, where, in the &s;ight of their Enemies they &s;hall a&s;cend to
<PB N="78" REF="46">
Heaven; that is, be eminently exalted above their Ene|mies.</P>
<P><HI>V.</HI> 4. And his feet &s;hall stand in that day on the Mount of Olives,
which is before <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> on the East, and the Mount of Olives
&s;hall cleave in the mid&s;t thereof towards the Ea&s;t, and towards the
West, a very great valley; and half of the Mountain &s;hall remove to|ward
the North, and half the Mountain toward the South, in that
day; <HI>that is,</HI> the day that the &s;poil is divided in <HI>Jeru&s;alem;</HI> and the
Gentiles gather against <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> to battel, the &s;ame day that the
Bea&s;t makes war with the Saints, and overcomes them, <HI>Rev. 11. 7. and
Dan.</HI> 7. 25. and when they &s;hall gather together to <HI>Harmageddon,
Rev.</HI> 16. 16. and when he pitcheth his Tents in the Mountain of de|lights
of holine&s;&s;e, <HI>Dan. 11. 45. In this day &s;hall be the&s;e great
things done as followeth:</HI> The Mount of Olives &s;hall cleave in the
mid&s;t thereof, towards the Ea&s;t, and the We&s;t, a great valley.</P>
<P>Note, This is &s;poken of the la&s;t years raign of the Bea&s;t of the
Earth; and therefore 'tis called one day, a prophetick day, which
&s;ignifies one year: For this ver&s;e &s;ets forth the great Rent that
&s;hall be made by the Bea&s;t of the Earth, among&s;t tho&s;e that were
formerly united under one King, and in one Faith, and locked
fa&s;t together in one Covenant: among&s;t the&s;e there &s;hall be a
breach in the la&s;t year of the Bea&s;t of the Earths raign. The <HI>Mount
of Olives &s;hall cleave in the midst thereof.</HI> Here is the great &s;ign
fore-going the great battell, wherein Chri&s;t will appear on his
Churches &s;ide: <HI>the half of the Mount of Olives &s;hall remove to the
North, and half to the South.</HI></P>
<P>Ob&s;erve here, there was a Union before the North and the
South was united; and now they are divided, the Mount of O|lives
is divided; but one delightful Mountain in the World, and
that divided! this is terrible. A great divi&s;ion in the Church
of God: tho&s;e that were united in one covenant &s;hall be broken
and divided; in&s;omuch that Sermons &s;hall cla&s;h again&s;t Sermons,
and prayers again&s;t prayers, and Fa&s;t dayes again&s;t Fa&s;t-dayes: it
&s;hall be a va&s;t breach, for there &s;hall be a Valley towards the Ea&s;t
and the We&s;t. The Chaldee renders it, <HI>a very great Valley:</HI> and
the Septuagint read it, <HI>a very great Gulf:</HI> &s;o that the North can|not
pa&s;&s;e to the South; nor the South to the North: There &s;hall
<PB N="79" REF="46">
be an irreconcileable breach made betwixt them; they &s;hall pro|hibit
any commerce or trade with them; they &s;hall be at as great
di&s;tance in Opinion, Judgment, and practice, as the Covenant is at
a di&s;tance from the Engagement, or the Engagement from the
Covenant.</P>
<P>Covenanters cannot pa&s;s to the Engagers without perjury,
and the Engagers cannot pa&s;s to Covenanters without forfeit|ing
their allegeance to their acknowledged Ma&s;ters.</P>
<P>This, I conceive, is the Valley that &s;hall be made towards the
Ea&s;t and We&s;t, which mu&s;t needs be Ea&s;tward and We&s;tward
when the Mount is divided; and half removes towards the
North, the other towards the South.</P>
<P>The Fathers, many of them, mi&s;-interpreting this text, by giving
a bare literal explication of the words, differ therefore in the ap|plication:
&s;ome apply this text to <HI>Titus,</HI> and his Army's Ex|ploits
upon Mount Olivet. Others faign, that 'twas then when
God with his Angels fought for the <HI>Maccabees</HI> on that Mount
again&s;t <HI>Antioches.</HI> Others think that 'twas then fulfilled, when
<HI>Constantine</HI> fought again&s;t the <HI>Arrians;</HI> at which time, on this
hill, the &s;ign of the cro&s;s appeared.</P>
<P>Hence (it may be) <HI>Theodoretus</HI> and <HI>Hierom</HI> conceive, that this
hill was divided into four parts like a cro&s;s; but the&s;e have but
fabulous grounds for their opinion. <HI>Zanche, Vatable, Lycanus,</HI> and
many others, &s;ay 'twas divided but into two parts; but I humbly
conceive, that in a literal &s;en&s;e, Mount Olivet was never divided
into two.</P>
<P>Therefore the text is not to be under&s;tood literally, but figu|ratively,
and parabolically under the&s;e tearms and Expo&s;itions,
&s;etting forth &s;ome eminent place in the world, which is eminent
for holine&s;s and unity in Doctrine, and Government, but unex|pectedly
rent, and mi&s;erably divided into two grand parties,
which &s;hall be at &s;o great and va&s;t a di&s;tance in opinion and pra|ctice,
as 'tis impo&s;&s;ible to reconcile them one to the other: the
one &s;hall &s;wear to maintain King, Lords, and Commons; and
the other &s;hall &s;wear to &s;uppre&s;s King and Lords: the one &s;hall
&s;wear to maintain true Religion in Doctrine, Di&s;cipline, and
Wor&s;hip, and the other &s;hall practice the de&s;truction of Religion
<PB N="80" REF="47">
in Doctrine, Di&s;cipline, and Wor&s;hip, by a toleration of all Reli|gions,
and &s;upporting Popery; by taking away all Oaths offen|&s;ive
to Popi&s;h Tenents, and all Statutes offen&s;ive to their per&s;ons
and e&s;tates, and &s;triving to de&s;troy &s;ound &s;tedfa&s;t principled Pro|te&s;tants,
by impo&s;ing Oaths upon them again&s;t their con&s;ciences,
and by taking away their priviledge of the Law from them, &s;o
laying them open to all manner of mi&s;ery.</P>
<P>By this you may &s;ee I am &s;trongly induced to believe that the
Mount of Olives is <HI>England</HI> and <HI>Scotland,</HI> formerly united under
one King and Religion, and under one &s;olemn League and Co|venant.</P>
<P>That part of the mountain divided to the North, I conceive, is
<HI>Scotland;</HI> That part to the South I conceive (according to its
&s;ituation from <HI>Scotland)</HI> is <HI>England:</HI> betwixt the&s;e there &s;hall be
a great Gulf; a Gulf betwixt their principles, &s;o deep and wide,
that all the World &s;hall take notice of it.</P>
<P>If any man &s;hould doubt of <HI>Scotland</HI> being part of the Moun|tain
of Holine&s;s, in regard of the ba&s;e reproaches of late ca&s;t up|on
them, I'le de&s;ire that man to read Mr. <HI>Jeremiah Burroughs</HI> opi|nion
of <HI>Scotland,</HI> in a &s;peech made at Guildhall, <HI>London, Octob.</HI> 6.
1643.</P>
<P>Scotland, <HI>&s;aith he,</HI> is a Kingdom beloved and honoured of God, by
whom God will do great things in the latter Age of the World; 'tis
a <HI>Philadelphia,</HI> 'tis more deeply ingaged to God then any Nation in
the World by Covenant, 'tis the most reformed Nation under Hea|ven,
'tis the greate&s;t Enemy to Antichri&s;t in the World, and the
mo&s;t &s;ucce&s;&s;efull, with whom God hath mo&s;t eminently appeared: they
are exceeding wi&s;e, exceeding ju&s;t, and full of Chri&s;tian love. <HI>This
was Mr.</HI> Jeremiah Burrough's <HI>opinion of the Kingdom of</HI> Scot|land;
<HI>and if he &s;ay it, I hope hone&s;t</HI> Independents <HI>(if there be any)
will believe it.</HI></P>
<P><HI>V.</HI> 5. And ye &s;hall flee into the Valley of the Mountain, for the val|ley
of the Mountain &s;hall reach unto <HI>Azal;</HI> yea, ye &s;hall flee like as ye
fled from the Earth-quake in the dayes of <HI>Uzziah</HI> King of <HI>Judah,</HI>
and the Lord my God &s;hall come, and all the Saints with thee. <HI>This
time &s;hall be a time of great terrour.</HI> Hunc terrorem dominus
praedicit, Luke 21. <HI>&s;aith</HI> Oecolampadius, <HI>where mens hearts &s;hall fail
<PB N="81" REF="47">
then for fear of the commotions which in this age &s;hall come, and</HI>
ye &s;hall flee into my Mountains. <HI>So</HI> Hierom <HI>reades it.</HI> For the
Valley of the Mountain &s;hall reach unto <HI>Azal. Many of the
ancient Interpreters read</HI> Azal <HI>as a proper name, and &s;o pa&s;s it
by: So doth</HI> Pagnine, Aquila, Vatible, <HI>and the Chaldee: but</HI>
Soman <HI>renders</HI> (Azal, u&s;&abque; adproximum, <HI>to &s;ome place neer at
hand. Others (as</HI> Tygurine <HI>and</HI> Arrias Montanus) <HI>conceive 'tis
meant &s;ome &s;ecure place, where God did hide his Church from</HI>
Antiochus <HI>his fury: but</HI> Hierom <HI>and</HI> Lyranus <HI>expound it thus,
That ye may flee into the Valley which lieth betwixt</HI> Moriah <HI>and</HI>
Mount Zion, <HI>that was a &s;ecure place: for it was betwixt the City
wall and the Temple.</HI></P>
<P>But others, more neer the Hebrew text, interpret <HI>[Azal] u&s;&abque;
ad &s;eparatum:</HI> &s;o <HI>Deodat</HI> &s;peaking of <HI>Azal</HI> &s;aith it &s;ignifies a &s;e|paration.
So that the plain &s;en&s;e of the text &s;eems to be this,
Ye &s;hall flee into the Valley of my Mountains, that is, Yea that are
the &s;ealed ones of the Lamb, that refu&s;e to wor&s;hip the Bea&s;t, or
his Image, or receive his mark, that is, &s;ub&s;cribe his Ingagement;
Ye &s;hall flee into the Valley of my Mountains, that is, that place
or Nation which keeps my Covenant, and ob&s;erves my &s;tatutes to
do them, there God will dwell where his Laws are ob&s;erved, and
his Ordinances maintained in purity: but that Nation onely in
the World, this day, is <HI>Scotland:</HI> and the rea&s;on why God will
have them to fly to his Mountains, is in the next words, <HI>For the
&V;alley of the Mountain &s;hall reach unto</HI> Azal, that is, The breach
betwixt the two Kingdoms &s;hall reach unto a &s;eparation: It
&s;hall &s;eparate true Subjects from Traytors, &s;incere Profe&s;&s;ors of
Religion from Apo&s;tates and Hypocrites, Covenant-keepers
from Covenant-breakers, Sheep from Goats: Thus the breach
betwixt the Kingdoms &s;hall make a &s;eparation in Per&s;ons, in
Prayers, in Sermons; in every thing there &s;hall be a &s;eparation. In
<HI>Cant.</HI> 2. 27. the Church prayes thus, <HI>Return my well-beloved, and be
like a Roe, or a young Hart, upon the Mountains of Bether:</HI> this word
<HI>[Bether]</HI> &s;eems to match <HI>[Azal.]</HI> for <HI>Bether</HI> &s;ignifies a &s;eparation
or divi&s;ion: Now on a Mountain of Separation the Church Praies
Chri&s;t to appear: it &s;eems to me a prayer made for this day, for
<HI>ver&s;e</HI> 4. 'Tis when the Jews that are ob&s;cured &s;hall be converted,
<PB N="82" REF="48">
and <HI>ver.</HI> 15. when Herericks &s;hall &s;poil the Church; then in &s;uch a
&s;traight the Church prayes that on the Mountains of <HI>Bether,</HI> that
is, In the divided di&s;tracted Kingdoms he would appear for the
Churches deliverance: it &s;hall be a time of flying, a time of hot
per&s;ecution; but the onely place for &s;afety for the Saints, will be
the Valley of Gods Mountains <HI>[ye &s;hall flee]</HI> is either Gods ad|monition
to the people that are on the South part of the Moun|tain,
to flee into the North part of the Mountain, a&s;&s;uring them,
that in that Kingdom onely &s;afety will be found for the Saints.
Or el&s;e 'tis &s;poken by way of di&s;crimination, to &s;hew which way
the true Saints of God will take: They will flee in their affecti|ons
to the other &s;ide; they will be on the Covenant &s;ide, and on
their &s;ide which keeps Gods Ordinances pure, and re&s;olve to ad|here
to their Covenant: you &s;hall in this day know a Saint by his
prayers, and his fa&s;ting, and his thank&s;giving. A true Saint will
die rather die then keep a day of rejoycing for the overthrow of
the Saints: but the other party that &s;lay the Witne&s;&s;es, 'tis their
duty, they owe it to the Devil: therefore <HI>Rev.</HI> 11. they &s;end gifts
one to another, and make merry, and why? Becau&s;e they that
would have pro&s;ecuted the ends of the Covenanted-Reforma|tion
are overthrown: Nothing but a &s;incere Reformation is a
terrour to Apo&s;tates, Hypocrites, and carnal profe&s;&s;ors: but now
they being overthrown, the Ingagers, the Wor&s;hippers of the
Bea&s;t, make merry and &s;end gifts one to another, that is, keep
Thank&s;giving days.</P>
<P>But you may know a true Saint, he abhors it; he mournes and
covers his face with &s;ackcloth; he flies in his prayers to the other
&s;ide of the Valley, to the Valley of Gods Mountain, his heart
and affections &s;hall be there.</P>
<P><HI>Yea, ye &s;hall flee like as ye fled from the Earthquake in the dayes of</HI>
Uzziah <HI>King of</HI> Judah, 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 26. 16. There <HI>&V;zziah</HI> after his
good &s;ucce&s;s in the War, apo&s;tatized from his former good life;
his good &s;ucce&s;s made him &s;elf-conceited, and turn <HI>Independent,</HI>
that is, take upon him the Prie&s;ts Office as well as the Kings: He
would be the onely Saints in the Kingdom, by u&s;urping the Prie&s;ts
Office; the Prie&s;ts being godly bold men, prote&s;t again&s;t him and
his proceedings, as again&s;t the written Law of God, again&s;t the
<PB N="83" REF="48">
Scriptures: but that's all one to him, the impul&s;e of his &s;pirit was
&s;uch, upon his good &s;ucce&s;s in his late Wars, that notwith&s;tanding
the Prie&s;ts prote&s;t, he was re&s;olved to carry on his De&s;ign. Here|upon
there grows a civil war, as 'twere, betwixt the Covenant-keeping
Prie&s;ts, and the Covenant-breaking King: the King here|upon
re&s;olved to murther the Prie&s;ts that &s;tood in his way and
cro&s;&s;ed his De&s;ign, <HI>Et mox ut Rex minatus e&s;t mortem Sacerdotibus</HI>
(&s;aith <HI>Jo&s;ephus lib. 9. cap. 11. Antiquit.)</HI> as the King was breathing
out the threatnings of death again&s;t the Prie&s;ts, God, from Hea|ven,
&s;mote the King with a lepro&s;ie in his face; whereby it ap|peared,
that the new-created Saint was an unclean creature, fit to
be ca&s;t out of the Temple, and to be bani&s;hed the &s;ociety of men.
This mans wickedne&s;s brought a terrible Earthquake upon the
Kingdom, &s;uch a one as was, for its terrour, never before known
in <HI>Judea;</HI> it cleft the Temple in twain (&s;aith <HI>Jo&s;ephus)</HI> and before
the City (in a place called <HI>E<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">ogie)</HI> the half of a Mountain that
&s;tood to the Ea&s;tward, brake, and fell, and removed, for the &s;pace
of four <HI>&s;tadia,</HI> &s;o that the high-ways were &s;topped up, and the
Kings gardens of plea&s;ure were wholly ruinated and disfigured:
this Earthquake could not choo&s;e but amaze and terrifie the peo|ple,
and make them flee out of their hou&s;es.</P>
<P>Such a time of tribulation and terrour it &s;hall be when God
comes to de&s;troy the Bea&s;t of the Earth, that takes upon him the
Office of a Mini&s;ter of the Go&s;pel, to teach and preach, publickely,
Divinity: this U&s;urper that goes on and per&s;i&s;ts in his wickedne&s;s
and bloudy attempts again&s;t the true Church, and the godly Mi|ni&s;tery.</P>
<P>Therefore 'tis &s;aid at the de&s;truction of this Bea&s;t, <HI>Rev. 11. 13.
That there was a great Earthquake, and the tenth part of the City
fell;</HI> and at <HI>(Rev. 16. 18.)</HI> the pouring out of the &s;eventh Viall
there was a great Earthquake. This cleerly &s;hews us at what
time we mu&s;t expect the&s;e things, 'tis at the &s;ounding of the &s;e|venth
Trumpet where are Earth-quakes; and the next words
make it more cleer, <HI>And the Lord my God &s;hall come, and all the
Saints with thee. Oecolampadius</HI> thinks, that when God hath ruined
Antichri&s;t, then the day of judgment &s;hall be: but &s;aith he, <HI>Qui|dam
dicunt interce&s;&s;urum tempus quoddam inter regnum Chri&s;ti, &amp;
Antichristi mille Annos;</HI> &s;o that this is no new Opinion: Of
<PB N="84" REF="49">
this opinion am I; for I believe before the Day of Judgment, and
after the ruine of Antichri&s;t, there &s;hall be 1000. years, as I &s;hall
make appear (&s;aith <HI>Deodat)</HI> He &s;hall come to de&s;troy Antichri&s;t,
this is the time of the &s;eventh Trumpet, when Chri&s;t &s;hall come
on his white hor&s;e, and all his Saints clothed with white linnen,
and riding on hor&s;es &s;hall come along with him, <HI>Rev.</HI> 19. and <HI>Rev.</HI>
14. 1. After the Bea&s;t of the Earth is mea&s;ured, numbered, weigh|ed,
and found too light, then follows Chri&s;t &s;tanding on Mount
Sion, with all his Saints with him: &s;o in <HI>Dan.</HI> 7. 9. after <HI>Daniel</HI> &s;aw
the little horn (which is this Bea&s;t of the Earth) immediatly fol|lows
the Lord Je&s;us, his Throne is &s;et up, and thou&s;ands, and ten
thou&s;ands mini&s;tring to him, and in <HI>Dan. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">1.</HI> 45. When this Bea&s;t
of the Earth (for 'tis the &s;ame) pitcheth his Tents in the Moun|tain
of delight of holine&s;s, that is, that part of the Mountain to
the North, which is <HI>Scotland,</HI> there God &s;hall ruine him: and then
immediatly follows <HI>(Dan. 12. 1.)</HI> in the next ver&s;e, <HI>Michael,</HI> that
is, Chri&s;t &s;hall &s;tand up, who &s;tandeth for the people, and there
&s;hall be a time of trouble, &s;uch as never was &s;ince there was a Na|tion:
at that time the Jews &s;hall be called out of the grave of
&s;inne and unbelief, to the lively knowledge of the Go&s;pel: The&s;e
things are &s;o cleerly &s;poken of one and the &s;ame time, and per|&s;ons,
that he that reads them &s;eriou&s;ly cannot but &s;ee they are all
Prophecies, foretelling the things that &s;hall come to pa&s;s in this
age of the world.</P>
<P>V. 6. <HI>And in that day</HI> (that is, &s;ay many Interpreters, when
Chri&s;t &s;hall come to de&s;troy Antichri&s;t) <HI>there &s;hall be no clear light,
but dark.</HI> Others read it better <HI>(the light &s;hall not be clear nor
dark)</HI> to a word it is <HI>[the light &s;hall not be precious nor thickne&s;s]</HI>
it &s;hall neither be a time of precious light and Go&s;pel-knowledg,
nor a time of thick darkne&s;s: It &s;hall be a time of the &s;trange&s;t
uncouths condition to the Church as ever was: Magi&s;tracy &s;hall
be laid a&s;ide, Mini&s;ters &s;hall be per&s;ecuted, out-lawed, bani&s;hed,
and all this by the Saints, the men that pull down Antichri&s;t (as
they &s;ay) there's the my&s;tery, there's the &s;adne&s;s; men that
hold the &s;ame principles of Religion, that were baptized with
the &s;ame bapti&s;m, that have fa&s;ted with the Saints who are reall
Saints, that have communicated with them at the &s;ame Table,
they &s;hall per&s;ecute the Mini&s;tery; the&s;e &s;hall rejoyce at the fall
<PB N="85" REF="49">
and ruine of the Church; the&s;e men &s;hall cry, at the affliction of
the Ju&s;t, <HI>Ah, ha, &s;o we would have it.</HI> Is not this a di&s;mal day when
one Parliament man &s;hall impri&s;on another, and one Mini&s;ter en|vie,
and reproach another.</P>
<P><HI>It &s;hall be neither day nor light, light nor dark;</HI> men &s;hall not
know what to make of the times: one &s;hall &s;ay 'tis Evening, ano|ther
&s;hall &s;ay 'tis Morning: another &s;hall &s;ay 'tis Noon-day: ano|ther
&s;hall &s;ay 'tis neither. One &s;aith (as my fine Doctor that I
deal with) that 'tis the morning of a glorious Reformation: Be|hold
how far it is carryed on, even to the murthering of a King,
and blowing up of a Parliament. Another (and that ju&s;tly from
Scripture-grounds) &s;aith, this mock-reformation is the &s;laying of
the Witne&s;&s;es. Another &s;aith, in the grief of his heart, the Even|ing
of the Go&s;pel is coming upon <HI>England,</HI> and God is carrying
it into &s;ome other Nation: as God, when the Jews rejected a Re|formation,
lo&s;t the Sun-&s;hine of the Go&s;pel, and it &s;hin'd glori|ou&s;ly
upon the Gentiles: &s;o when Chri&s;t comes to call the Jews,
the Gentiles that de&s;pi&s;e that way of Chri&s;ts coming in a Refor|mation-way
to call the Jews, may ju&s;tly have the Go&s;pel taken
from them; and the <HI>Mini&s;ters</HI> may give that dolefull farewell to
<HI>England,</HI> that <HI>Paul</HI> gave to the Jews, <HI>Behold, we turn from you, and
go to the Gentiles:</HI> This is ju&s;tly to be (I know not whether I had
be&s;t &s;ay hoped, or) feared; yet for my Countries and Kinsfolks
&s;akes, I'le &s;ay feared: but <HI>England</HI> is mo&s;t unworthy, it hath reje|cted
a Reformation, and I much fear the &s;et-day: and God, by
per&s;ecution (as fourteen years &s;ince, by the Prelates per&s;ecu|tion
he did) is now calling his Mini&s;ters away to &s;ome
greater Harve&s;t; for here they fi&s;h day and night, and
catch nothing: they plow and &s;ow abundantly, but they
reap no fruit: In <HI>New-England</HI> the harve&s;t begins to in|crea&s;e
upon tho&s;e few Labourers hands, there the poor &s;oules can
weep out a whole Sermon; and in the mid&s;t of their bu&s;ine&s;s, in
their hard labour their &s;oules in the field can groan within them
for wounding Chri&s;t: and here in <HI>Old-England</HI> men de&s;pi&s;e the
Mini&s;ters, and the me&s;&s;age they bring, per&s;ecute them, &s;lander
them, and u&s;e all violent means to drive them out of the King|dom:
Really, I much fear, 'tis Evening with <HI>England:</HI> but what
do I mean? I forget my &s;elf, I am expounding.</P>
<P><HI>It &s;hall neither be light nor dark,</HI> that is, it &s;hall be neither
<PB N="86" REF="50">
night of de&s;paire, nor day of a&s;&s;urance, it &s;hall be neither night of
di&s;pondency, nor day of comfort. What &s;hall I &s;ay? I will &s;ay
no more; for I am confident every man that lives, in the&s;e times,
that is in his &s;en&s;es, and ob&s;erves the times, hath a ready Com|ment
upon this text. <HI>Oecolampadius</HI> refers this to <HI>Luke</HI> 21. where
<HI>the Sun &s;hall be darkened, and the Moon &s;hall not give her light;</HI> it
may be <HI>v.</HI> 7. repre&s;ents the &s;tate of the &s;lain Witne&s;&s;es: but it
&s;hall be one day, it is known to the Lord: By day is here meant
a year, a Prophetick day; though this Bea&s;t of the Earth reigne
three years and a half, yet he &s;hall thus tyrannize but one yeare,
that's the comfort; he &s;hall make a rent betwixt the North and
the South but one year; 'tis but one year that it &s;hall be neither
light nor dark; and here is the comfort of all, in the evening of
that day, that is, in the later end of the year it &s;hall be light, he
&s;hall tyrannize in <HI>Scotland</HI> but one yeer. Now the great que&s;ti|on
is, what yeer this yeer is, when 'twill be: the Doctor &s;aith,
this yeer. Though I cannot fiddle with the Doctor, yet I'll keep
time with him as neer as I can. Doth he &s;ay great things &s;hall be
done again&s;t Antichri&s;t about the yeer 1650? So do <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">: But here
the Doctor and I &s;hall run in di&s;cords: tho&s;e whom the Doctor
calls (I am confident again&s;t his con&s;cience) Antichri&s;tian, I up|on
&s;ure and infallible grounds call them vi&s;ible Saints: that is,
the Kingdom of <HI>Scotland,</HI> that now defend the Covenant-cau&s;e,
and a di&s;tre&s;&s;ed lawfull Magi&s;tracy, and a lawfull rightly con&s;ti|tuted
Mini&s;tery and Eccle&s;ia&s;tick Di&s;cipline. And tho&s;e whom
the Doctor calls holy ones, the holy Heretikes, and the holy
Gun-powder Traytors, and the holy Covenant-breakers, and
the holy Apo&s;tates, (for they are vi&s;ibly &s;uch to all the world)
tho&s;e I call by their right names, as they appear to the world by
their actions, <HI>viz.</HI> the la&s;t bloudy enemies of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">he Go&s;pel Church,
who <HI>in the later part of the la&s;t times</HI> (as M. <HI>Tho. Goodwin</HI> &s;aith)
<HI>&s;hall ari&s;e and &s;lay the Witne&s;&s;es;</HI> that is, a godly Magi&s;tracy and
Mini&s;tery, who had fini&s;hed their te&s;timony, and fitted all things
for a complete reformation: the&s;e enemies of the Church, I call
them enemies, and the&s;e goodly painted hypocrits, I call them &s;o;
I do not number them by their names, but I count them by their
actions, by what they do, not by what they &s;ay: and thence I con|clude
infallibly, they are Antichri&s;tian, for by their fruits, not
<PB N="87" REF="50">
leaves, I know them to be &s;uch; and (contrary to the Doctor) I do
verily believe, that &s;oon after this-yeer 1650. God will rai&s;e up
the Witne&s;&s;es in <HI>Scotland,</HI> overthrow, con&s;ume, and utterly de|&s;troy
the Doctors holy Army, holy State, and holy Common|wealth:
And my rea&s;ons are taken partly out of the Doctors
own mouth: for about this time the Pope of <HI>Romes</HI> tyrannizing
over the Church is expired; and to go one &s;tep further then the
Doctor, within &s;ix moneths, I conceive, after the end
of this yeer, 1650. the reigne of the Bea&s;t of the
Earth which &s;layes the Witne&s;&s;es is out, and the time of
the Witne&s;&s;es lying dead is out, and they mu&s;t ri&s;e, who&s;e ri&s;ing is
the Bea&s;ts ruine; the ri&s;ing of a lawfull Magi&s;tracy and Mini&s;te|ry
will be the ruine of Democrary and Independency: For the
battell mu&s;t be fought by lawfull Magi&s;tracy and lawfull Mini|&s;tery,
again&s;t U&s;urpers in Church and State.</P>
<P>The Doctor hath proved that the Popes time of tyrannizing
is out in 1650. My bu&s;ine&s;&s;e then &s;hall be to prove, that he that
&s;lays the Witne&s;&s;es, his time is out &s;oon after the end of this yeer
1650 I have proved it already, I will therefore only explain that
part of <HI>Dan.</HI> 11. from <HI>v.</HI> 36. to the end, not preci&s;ely every ver&s;e,
but &s;o much as may illu&s;trate the tenent, that in all probability
immediately after the end of this yeer 1650. will be the downfall
of <HI>Cromwell</HI> and his Army, and his new government, which he
hath by his &s;word erected. Ob&s;erve therefore this, that <HI>Rev.</HI> 13.
from ver&s;e the 11. to the end, and <HI>Dan.</HI> 11. 36. to the end are &s;po|ken
both of one Bea&s;t, and do both in the &s;ame manner &s;et forth
his government, and tyranny, and bloudy cruelty, and &s;ucce&s;&s;e in
his actions: therfore you read in <HI>Rev.</HI> 13. 14. of an image which
he makes men to wor&s;hip, and in <HI>Dan.</HI> 11. 36. you read of the
god <HI>Mauzzim</HI> that he &s;ets up: both the&s;e are one and the &s;ame
thing, and &s;ignifie a &s;word-power, that this Bea&s;t &s;hall &s;et up: I
have many learned Expo&s;itors on my &s;ide in the interpretation of
both texts, and &s;ome of the Fathers, with whom I fall full jump
in the explication; for they &s;ay that the Bea&s;t, in both places, is
that Antichri&s;t that &s;hall ari&s;e when the Roman Monarchy &s;hall
be de&s;troyed, and &s;lay the Witne&s;&s;es, and reigne three years and
an half: Now we mu&s;t reckon the beginning of this Bea&s;ts reign
the time that he &s;et up his god <HI>Mauzzim,</HI> and exalted him&s;elf a|bove
all other government; and this was when he got the &s;hips
<PB N="88" REF="51">
at &s;ea, the Forts, Ca&s;tles Forces, Magazines, &amp; whole power of the
&s;word into his own hands at land: This was done in the year, 1647.
and about <HI>September</HI> or <HI>October.</HI> In the &s;ame year, &s;o that near
about that time, we mu&s;t begin the Bea&s;ts raign; and then about
the evening of the day, that is, the latter end of that year, when
he divides the two Kingdoms, the Bea&s;ts three years &amp; an half wil
be out: but mark what &s;hal come to pa&s;s immediately before this
year of divi&s;ion, <HI>Dan. 12. 40. At the time of the end &s;hall the King of
the South pu&s;h at him, and the King of the North &s;hall come up again&s;t
him like a whirlwind, with Chariots, &amp; with Hor&s;emen, &amp; with many
&s;hips:</HI> In <HI>Zach.</HI> 14. 14. there you have the Mountain divided into
North and South: Here you have in this ver&s;e the North and
the South joyned together, to overthrow the Bea&s;t of the Earth,
which hath &s;et up his God <HI>Mauzzim</HI> his Sword-power: This
was cleerly fulfilled in the Northern Inva&s;ion, and the Southern
In&s;urrection; I will not inlarge here in &s;o plain a thing: but what
&s;hall be their &s;ucce&s;s? they &s;hall be overthrown by him, and he
&s;hall enter into the Countries, and &s;hall overflow and pa&s;s over:
<HI>[He]</HI> that is, he that &s;ets up the God <HI>Mauzzim,</HI> he &s;hall overtop
both the Northern Invaders, and the Southern In&s;urrections: nei|ther
the King of the North, nor the King of the South &s;hall over|come
him, he &s;hall pa&s;s over them, <HI>v. 41. He &s;hall enter into the glo|rious
Land.</HI></P>
<P>I am of Mr. <HI>Jeremiah Burroughs</HI> opinion, that <HI>Scotland</HI> is the
gloriou&s;e&s;t Land in the world for holine&s;s: therefore I think it is
meant <HI>Scotland,</HI> that he &s;hould enter; as he did, after he had de|feated
<HI>Hambleton's</HI> forces, he entred the Kingdom of <HI>Scotland,</HI>
and many &s;hall be overthrown: Some read <HI>[and many Countries
&s;hall be overthrown]</HI> but there is no &s;uch word as <HI>(Countries)</HI> in
the Hebrew: Therefore I humbly conceive 'tis better read, <HI>and
many &s;hall be overthrown,</HI> that is, many noble families, many great
per&s;ons, and many people &s;hall; but the&s;e &s;hall e&s;cape out of his
hand, <HI>Edom,</HI> and <HI>Moab,</HI> and the chief of the children of <HI>Amon:</HI> the
ancieut, and the latter Expo&s;itors, have mi&s;took this text, in al|lowing
it onely a literal &s;en&s;e, which the Holy Gho&s;t intends not;
for by <HI>Edom,</HI> and <HI>Moab,</HI> and <HI>Ammon,</HI> are meant the Enemies of the
Church, who plead the &s;ame priviledges that the Church pleads;
as <HI>E&s;au</HI> was the elde&s;t &s;on of <HI>I&s;aac</HI> by birth, but he &s;old his birth|right,
<PB N="89" REF="51">
and became an apo&s;tate, and &s;o did his po&s;terity, who were
from him called <HI>Edomites:</HI> But the&s;e Apo&s;tates pretended (as the
Church of <HI>Rome</HI> doth) that they were the true Church, becau&s;e
they came from the elde&s;t &s;on of <HI>I&s;aac:</HI> and &s;o <HI>Moab</HI> and <HI>Am|mon,</HI>
though mo&s;t abominable Idolaters, yet &s;aid, that their father
was <HI>Lot,</HI> and they were the true Church, though they were begot|ten
in ince&s;t; as all Here&s;ies and Hereticks are gotten by corrupt|ing
the Holy Word, and Truth of God; &s;o that by <HI>Edom,</HI> and
<HI>Moab,</HI> and <HI>Ammon,</HI> that e&s;cape this Bea&s;ts clutches, may be under|&s;tood
Hereticks and Apo&s;tates: if &s;o, how cleerly doth this point
out of the Bea&s;t to us? or if by <HI>Ammon</HI> and <HI>Moab,</HI> may be meant
tho&s;e murtherers of the King, Traytors: for in 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 24. 46. a
<HI>Moabite,</HI> and an <HI>Ammonite,</HI> one of the chief of the children of
<HI>Ammon,</HI> con&s;pired again&s;t the King and &s;lew him, &s;o that Apo|&s;tates,
Covenant-breakers, Hereticks, and Traytors, con&s;pirers a|gain&s;t
the King, &s;hall e&s;cape him: where&s;oever he comes, you
may know this bea&s;t by his followers, for none but &s;uch are pro|tected
by him, and beloved of him. By <HI>Moab</HI> may be meant
the malicious party who pretend religiou&s;ly to cur&s;e the Church
of God by their hypocritical hirelings, &s;uch as <HI>Balam,</HI> who for a
good place, or office, will vilifie that cau&s;e which they once pro|fe&s;&s;ed
to be a righteous cau&s;e.</P>
<P>V. 42. <HI>And the Land of Egypt &s;hall not e&s;cape,</HI> that is, <HI>Ireland,</HI>
which were more bloudy to the people of God, then <HI>Egypt</HI> to <HI>I&s;|rael:
Egipt,</HI> that is, a Kingdom full of abominable Idolatry:
therefore <HI>Rome</HI> is called &s;pirituall <HI>Egypt.</HI></P>
<P>V. 43. <HI>He &s;hall have power over the Trea&s;ures of gold and &s;ilver,
and the precious things of Egypt,</HI> that is, He &s;hall be Governour of
<HI>Ireland:</HI> for who hath power over the Trea&s;ury but the Gover|nour?
By <HI>Lybians</HI> and <HI>Ethiopians</HI> are meant the common, &s;ot|ti&s;h,
and &s;lavi&s;h &s;ort of people, which will bow to any body: the&s;e
&s;hall &s;ub&s;cribe to him: But when he is in <HI>Ireland,</HI> what follows
next?</P>
<P>V. 44. <HI>But tidings out of the Ea&s;t, and out of the North, &s;hall
trouble him: Holland</HI> is Ea&s;t, and <HI>Scotland</HI> is North from <HI>Ireland:</HI>
now the Treaty in <HI>Holland</HI> with the King, by the <HI>Scots</HI> &s;hall trou|ble
him.</P>
<P><PB N="90" REF="52">
V. 45. <HI>Tydings out of the Ea&s;t, and out of the North &s;hall trouble
him: Ireland</HI> (the place where the Bea&s;t of the Earth &s;hall be, that
Witne&s;s-&s;laying Bea&s;t) hath <HI>Holland</HI> on the Ea&s;t of it, and <HI>Scot|land</HI>
on the North of it: Now tydings from the North and Ea&s;t
&s;hall trouble him, that is, the King of <HI>Scotland</HI> &s;hall be in <HI>Holland,</HI>
that's to the Ea&s;t of him, and the <HI>Scots</HI> in the North call a Parlia|ment,
and &s;end Commi&s;&s;ioners from <HI>Scotland</HI> to treat with the
King in <HI>Holland;</HI> and &s;o tydings out of the Ea&s;t, and out of the
North &s;hall trouble him: This Treaty &s;hall trouble him, and call
him out of <HI>Ireland</HI> into <HI>England,</HI> from whence he &s;hall go with
great fury to de&s;troy and utterly to make away many: He &s;hall
go with an Army re&s;olving to de&s;troy, and utterly to make away
the Covenanters in <HI>Scotland:</HI> and this is plainly &s;et down in <HI>ver&s;.</HI>
45.</P>
<P>V. 46. <HI>And he &s;hall plant the Tabernacles of his palace:</HI> Some
read <HI>[The Tabernacle of the wrath of his judgment]</HI> &s;o <HI>Brightman</HI>
reades it. Others read it <HI>[And he &s;hall plant his Tabernacle Aphad|no]</HI>
keeping the Hebrew word intire. Others there are that tran|&s;late
<HI>[Aphadno]</HI> and read the text thus <HI>[And he &s;hall &s;pread the
Tabernacles of his stables]</HI> This word <HI>[Aphadno]</HI> which is read
<HI>Palace,</HI> (though I know not why) <HI>Brightman</HI> very learnedly un|folds.
This word (&s;aith he) is compounded of three words, <HI>Aph,</HI>
and <HI>Din,</HI> and the affix of the third per&s;on <HI>Daleth, the wrath of his
judgment;</HI> as if he &s;hould &s;ay, <HI>He &s;hall plant the Tabernacles of
wroth, whereby he &s;hall procure to him&s;elf judgment, and everla&s;ting
de&s;truction.</HI> Therefore <HI>Brightman</HI> reads it thus, <HI>He &s;hall plant the
Tabernacle of the wroth of his judgment between the &s;eas, in the
Mountain of holy delight, and there &s;hall he come to his end, and none
&s;hall help him. He &s;hall pitch his Tabernacles in the Mountain of
delight</HI> that is, in that part of <HI>Mount Olivet</HI> to the North: <HI>On
that Mountain,</HI> that is, in <HI>Scotland: there he &s;hall pitch his tent,</HI> that
is, lead an Army into that Kingdom again&s;t the Covenanters, and
he &s;hall pitch betwixt the &s;eas in <HI>Scotland.</HI> This &s;eemeth to tell
the place where this Bea&s;t &s;hall be de&s;troyed, it is betwixt the &s;eas
&s;ome where in that Kingdom: <HI>and there &s;hall he come to his end,
and none &s;hall help him.</HI> Ob&s;erve how this illu&s;trates and confirms
<HI>Zach. 14. 1, 7. the time of the Rent betwixt the North and the South
<PB N="91" REF="52">
&s;hall be but one day,</HI> that is, <HI>one year, and in the evening of that year it
&s;hall be light.</HI> Now I am fully per&s;waded that this is the year,
I argue <HI>&agrave; po&s;teriori</HI> from events: this year the tydings out of the
Ea&s;t, and the North, fetched him out of <HI>Ireland,</HI> and made him
march into <HI>Scotland,</HI> which made the great Rent between the
two Kingdoms of <HI>England</HI> and <HI>Scotland.</HI></P>
<P>This year is that year which is neither dark nor light to the
Church, it is a gloomy day, no &s;un nor &s;tars appear, to direct or
comfort the Church. They know not whether the &s;un be ri&s;ing
or &s;etting upon them, palene&s;s is in all faces, 'tis a cloudy, &s;ad, me|lancholy
day; therefore we wait, hoping and longing for the ful|filling
of the promi&s;e; <HI>that in the evening of the day,</HI> that is, in the
latter end of the year, <HI>it &s;hall be light:</HI> though the year &s;peaks ter|rible
things again&s;t the Church, yet the end of the year &s;hall
&s;peak comfort and &s;alvation to the Church. Or el&s;e it &s;hall be in
the Evening, that is, when all is &s;till and quiet, when the Enemies
think all is their own, and when the Church thinks the Evening
of dark and &s;ad de&s;olation is coming on her. In the Evening
when the Enemies of the Church are lying down, have drawn the
Curtains of &s;ecurity over them, when like the glutton they begin
to &s;ay, <HI>&s;oul take thy rest, eat, drink, and be merry, thou ha&s;t enough laid
up for many years;</HI> then their unexpected de&s;olation and utter
ruine cometh, then on a &s;udden the &s;eventh Trumpet &s;ounds, and
the dreadful cry is made, <HI>behold the bridegroom cometh,</HI> then &s;hall
Chri&s;t come with deliverance, for the Saints (when they were even
ready to di&s;pond) with &s;wift de&s;truction again&s;t his Enemies, who
were in deep &s;ecurity, Ob&s;erve how both <HI>Daniel</HI> and <HI>Zachary</HI>
agree in this; for in <HI>Dan.</HI> 12. 1. there <HI>Michael</HI> &s;tands up, <HI>that great
Prince which &s;tandeth for the children of thy people,</HI> and then &s;hall
follow the time of great trouble to the Enemy, and in <HI>Zach. 14.
5. the Lord &s;hall come,</HI> and <HI>ver. 9. the Lord &s;hall be King over all the
earth:</HI> the &s;ame with <HI>Rev. 11. all the Kingdoms (at the &s;ounding of
the &s;eventh Trumpet) in the world &s;hall be the Lords:</HI> &s;o that all
the&s;e places of Scripture prophecying of the &s;ounding of the &s;e|venth
Trumpet, and the things that &s;hall immediatly precede the
powring out of the Vials &s;eem to tell us, that God will mightily
appear in the rai&s;ing up of a di&s;tre&s;&s;ed, per&s;ecuted, de&s;pi&s;ed Magi|&s;tracy
<PB N="92" REF="53">
and Mini&s;tery in <HI>Scotland,</HI> and give them unexpected &s;uc|ce&s;s
again&s;t their Enemies, to the overthrowing of Popery and In|dependency,
and the e&s;tabli&s;hing of the three Kingdoms &s;peedily
in a Covenant-Reformation: Confident I am that <HI>Scotland</HI> is
the place where the Enemies of the Church &s;hall be gathered to|gether
to de&s;troy them; and mo&s;t confident I am, that there the
Enemies that go again&s;t them &s;hall be broken, there will Chri&s;t
appear for his Churches deliverance, and his Enemies confu&s;ion:
and this is one great argument with me <HI>(viz.)</HI> the great di&s;tre&s;&s;e
and &s;ad affliction that the Church at this pre&s;ent time is in: In
<HI>England</HI> the very foundations are ca&s;t down, and the righteous
know not what to do; their eyes are onely up to God, the poor
Church is drove up into a di&s;per&s;ed corner of the world, it hath
lately had a &s;ore and deadly wound in the defeating of a &s;tately
Army; they have lo&s;t their chief City, they are bani&s;hed from
their habitations; they have lo&s;t one of their chief Sea-Port
Towns, and the chief Ca&s;tle and &s;tronge&s;t Hold in that Kingdom;
they have a potent, a bloudy, a &s;ubtil, and a re&s;olved Army to en|counter
withall; they every day grow &s;tronger and &s;tronger, and
by their power and policy, infeeble and weaken the poor
Church in <HI>Scotland:</HI> by their policy they have bred divi&s;ion a|mong
the <HI>Scots;</HI> they are but a little number that are called, and
faithful, and cho&s;en, and that little flock are like to be &s;urrounded
with Enemies; for if the Pope and his party can po&s;&s;ibly incite
any of the great family again&s;t the Kirk, they will: and in great
mea&s;ure the <HI>Scots,</HI> this day, have experience of it: now when they
have enemies and dangers round about them, and are but feeble
and weak, and in the eye of the world, and of their Enemes utter|ly
lo&s;t.</P>
<P>Then is the time, yea then, the &s;et time is come for their de|liverance:
and this I prove from <HI>Rev.</HI> 15. 2, 3. When the Church
was delivered, which is &s;poken of this time of deliverance from
the Bea&s;t of the Earth: for they <HI>(ver. 2.)</HI> got the victory over the
Bea&s;t, and his Image, and his Mark, and the number of his name;
Now this is none other then the Bea&s;t that goes to pull down
Kingly Government, and &s;et up his Image or Government, and
make that Nation receive his mark <HI>(i.e.)</HI> &s;ub&s;cribe to his Ingage|ment.
<PB N="93" REF="53">
Now when this victory is gotten over the Bea&s;t <HI>(v. 3.)</HI> they
&s;ang the &s;ong of <HI>Mo&s;es Exod.</HI> 15. which was a tryumphant &s;ong,
after their deliverance from a potent, malicious, re&s;olved Enemy,
that had the Church of God at the greate&s;t di&s;advantage that
might be, for he had them all in a valley; on one hand the Forts
and &s;trong Holds of the <HI>Egyptians;</HI> on the other hand, an unpa&s;|&s;able
Mountain; before them the deep &s;ea; and behind them<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">
furious Enemy, compleatly armed, and fully re&s;olved utterly to
ruine them: Now in this di&s;tre&s;s the Lord looks upon them,
and vi&s;its them with a cloud, there was the vi&s;ible power of God
&s;een; and after that cloud came, the Sea was divided, the Church
was pre&s;erved, and the Enemy drowned; and then <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> com|po&s;ed
his &s;ong, which is altogether to magnifie the glorious and
magnificent power of God, in the deliverance of his Church in &s;o
great a &s;traight, and de&s;troy the proud and potent Enemy with &s;o
terrible and &s;wift de&s;truction.</P>
<P>Now this &s;ong the Church mu&s;t &s;ing when God gives her vi|ctory
over her Enemies: therefore her deliverance &s;hall be glori|ous,
and her Enemies de&s;truction terrible, that is, that new &s;ong
the Saints of God &s;hall &s;ing, <HI>Rev.</HI> 14. which alludes to the pro|phetick
P&s;alm, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 98. where you have every thing runs parallel
with <HI>John's</HI> Vi&s;ion, for there you have a new &s;ong, and the cau&s;e
of it, 'tis for a marvellous great victory gotten by Gods own
Arm, in an eminent manner, in the &s;ight of the Heathen, <HI>ver.</HI> 2.
and then at that time the hou&s;e of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> and the ends of the
Earth &s;ee the &s;alvation of God, as the Angel, <HI>Rev.</HI> 4. 6. preacheth
it; and then <HI>ver.</HI> 4. there is a Hallelujah, <HI>ver.</HI> 5. with the Harp,
which the Harpers have, <HI>ver. 7. the &s;ea roars, and the earth, and the
flouds cla&s;h one again&s;t another:</HI> but <HI>ver. 19. the Mountains (of ho|line&s;s)
rejoyce, becau&s;e he is come to judge the earth.</HI> Read the next
P&s;alm, it gives great light into the&s;e texts, to be fulfilled in the&s;e
times: Be not therefore di&s;couraged (O ye Saints of God) be pa|tient,
be con&s;tant, be couragious; be not faithle&s;s, but believe,
when your affliction and di&s;tre&s;s is greate&s;t, then is your deliver|ance
neare&s;t, when your Enemies are mo&s;t cruel, mo&s;t confident,
mo&s;t &s;trong, mo&s;t malicious, and mo&s;t &s;ecure; then will Chri&s;t
come in the cloud, then will he appear on the white cloud with
<PB N="94" REF="54">
the &s;ickle in his hand to cut down your Enemies: ble&s;&s;ed are you
in this day that watch and keep on your &s;piritual garments, for
Chri&s;t will a&s;&s;uredly come, and he will come as a thief, at una|wares,
unexpected: behold the time is at hand, your temptations
are great, the Devil is &s;ifting you, and winowing you as wheat; it
is a day of tribulation, &amp; of great &s;orrow; it is a day wherein your
Enemies rejoyce, and make merry; it is a day of great rebuke and
&s;hame to the Church, the enemies &s;ay, <HI>ah, ha, &s;o we would have it,
Edom's</HI> &s;ons cry, <HI>down with the walls of Zion, down with them to the
ground.</HI> It was never a &s;adder day with the Church of <HI>England,</HI> and
<HI>Scotland,</HI> &s;ince the Go&s;pel was preached among&s;t them, then
now. I dare appeal to all the Hi&s;torians in the world, whether
ever the Go&s;pel was &s;o de&s;perately per&s;ecuted, and &s;o neer to
ruine, as now it is. Look in <HI>England,</HI> and the very foundations
of the Go&s;pel are rooting up, I mean the Doctrinal-foundation:
Do I &s;ay onely Doctrinal, nay, but I do affirm the per&s;onal foun|dation
of the Go&s;pel is rooting up: Are not the Scriptures
which are the &s;piritual foundation of the Go&s;pel, denyed to be
the Word of God? and do not men &s;et their accur&s;ed lu&s;ts above
the Holy Scriptures, in maintaining, that no more is Scripture
then what their &s;pirits clo&s;e with? and is not the Lord Je&s;us deny|ed
to be God, and the Son of God, and the &s;econd per&s;on in the
Trinity: and do they not affirm, that he is not the Purcha&s;er of
&s;alvation for the Elect? And to go a little further, are not the
Mini&s;terial foundations <HI>(viz.)</HI> Magi&s;tracy and Mini&s;tery thrown
down: was there ever more open villanies committed again&s;t the
per&s;ons and offices of Magi&s;trates and Mini&s;ters then at this day?
How is the Magi&s;tracy trampled in the dirt, and their &s;poyls divi|ded?
How are Mini&s;ters impri&s;oned, bani&s;hed, &s;eque&s;tered, and
&s;ilenced? How grievous and intolerable are the burthens that
they lay on the poor Mini&s;ters bodies and &s;ouls? They have ta|ken
away their e&s;tates, and &s;o expo&s;e their poor families to ruine:
they impo&s;e a mo&s;t unju&s;t and uncon&s;cionable Oath upon them,
directly contrary to tho&s;e lawful Oaths they took before; and for
the not &s;ub&s;cribing of it (which no con&s;ciencious Prote&s;tant will
do, or can do) they are out-lawed, &s;hut out of protecti|on,
out of their livelyhoods, and expo&s;ed to utter ruine, at the
<PB N="95" REF="54">
plea&s;ure of any of the &s;ons of violence: and what condition have
they put the Papi&s;ts, tho&s;e bloudy and inveterate Enemies of
the Prote&s;tants? What becomes of the Laws in force again&s;t
them? Are they not all repealed? What's become of tho&s;e di&s;|criminating
Oaths that mole&s;t the Papi&s;ts peace in this Kingdom?
Are they not all taken away? and is not onely the &s;incere con|&s;ciencious
Prote&s;tant, the man who&s;e e&s;tate, office, per&s;on, and fa|mily,
lyeth at the mercy of bloudy Papi&s;ts, and Gunpowder tray|tors?
Who is &s;o blind as not plainly to &s;ee the&s;e things? and
what con&s;ciencious Prote&s;tant &s;o &s;ecure, as not to feel it? And
as for <HI>Scotland,</HI> though, ble&s;&s;ed be the Lord, there be a godly Ma|gi&s;tracy
and Mini&s;tery as yet &s;tanding, yet how neer are they to
their fall? How great a blow have they received already? How
many enemies have they again&s;t them? The Pope and all his po|liticians
in England, Holland, Ireland, Spain, France are active a|gain&s;t
them; in England the whole wealth and &s;trength of it is
imployed to ruine the Kingdome of Scotland; in Holland and
France, the &s;ame Popi&s;h Politicians, are imployed to rai&s;e rebel|lion
again&s;t Kingly Government; in Ireland the arch Rebells
are in a League with the Common-wealth of England, they ha|ving
renounced Kingly Government long before, were the fir&s;t
that owned the Common-wealth of England, and gave them a
Title; whereupon Collonel <HI>Monk</HI> made a peace with them:
This Collonel <HI>Monk</HI> is now as Major Generall of the Foot under
<HI>Cromwel</HI> in Scotland, Spain hath owned this pre&s;ent power that
cut off the King, for a Free-State and Common-wealth, and
drives the &s;ame de&s;ign to throw down the King of <HI>Portugal,</HI>
and <HI>France</HI> with <HI>England,</HI> yea, the Popes Agents in <HI>Scotland</HI> are
active in &s;tirring up tho&s;e Papi&s;tical Families in <HI>Scotland</HI> again&s;t
the Kirks party, who are the Covenanting party: It would be
too long to tell how the Spani&s;h Faction (to &s;ay no more) pre|vaileth
this day throughout <HI>Europe:</HI> the King of <HI>France</HI> who de|nies
the Popes temporal power, is like, by the Je&s;uited-State-com|motions
to be overthrown: the King of <HI>Portugal</HI> is in a probable
way to be overthrown by the King of <HI>Spain:</HI> the <HI>Hollander</HI> which
was the &s;upply of <HI>Scotland</HI> for Ammunition, &s;ince the Prince of
<HI>Orange's</HI> death, is like, by their own civil jars, to become a prey to
<PB N="96" REF="55">
the <HI>Spaniard,</HI> after de&s;ignes betwixt England and Spain are
ripened; and poore <HI>England</HI> overflow with the <HI>Spani&s;h</HI> Faction,
who cannot &s;ee all things cutting out again&s;t the Prote&s;tants, a|cording
to the <HI>Spani&s;h</HI> Model, who cannot &s;ee that perfected,
which was intended long &s;ince, who &s;ees not tho&s;e di&s;mall at|tempts
again&s;t Magi&s;tracy and Mini&s;tery, now compleated and ac|compli&s;hed,
which were intended, 1588. by the King of <HI>Spain's</HI>
Armado, again&s;t Queen <HI>Elizabeth,</HI> and by the Gunpowder Traytors
again&s;t King <HI>James.</HI> Something 'tis that makes the Spani&s;h Court
triumph; 'tis becau&s;e they have drave the Royal Family of <HI>Eng|land</HI>
and <HI>Scotland</HI> into great di&s;tre&s;s; it is helple&s;s throughout
the world; no Kingdom nor Nation lends that di&s;tre&s;&s;ed Family
their helping hand: the Prince of <HI>Orange,</HI> the great comforter of
that Family, is taken out of the World: and the Queen of Swead|land
&s;natched from him by the Emperor. The Engli&s;h Nation are
divided into Independents, Prelaticall men, and Presbyterians
for the mo&s;t part; the Independent and Prelaticall Party are
ingaged by Oath again&s;t the Magi&s;tracy and Mini&s;tery of Scot|land;
for they all for the mo&s;t part take the Engagement, they
have only a few Presbyterians, who are impoveri&s;hed in their E|&s;tates,
ca&s;t out of Office, and out-lawed that adheare to them, and
they only in affection, all they can do is to fa&s;t and pray, and
powre out their &s;ouls, both in publique and private, for the di|&s;tre&s;&s;ed
Magi&s;tracy and Mini&s;tery of Scotland, this is all the help
they can afford them: France cannot help them&s;elves, much le&s;&s;e
are they able to help Scotland in their di&s;tre&s;&s;es. Now this day
there is a va&s;t and terrible Army gone up again&s;t them; and if
that Army &s;hould overcome, and ruine utterly the Magi|&s;tracy
and Mini&s;tery in Scotland; the Prote&s;tant Reli|gion
would not have any place in Europe to re&s;t the &s;ole of his
foot on. I am informed al&s;o that in <HI>New-England,</HI> the &s;ame
&s;ubtill Je&s;uited Saints that have blown us up in <HI>Old-England,</HI>
have put them al&s;o into mi&s;erable confu&s;ion and civill broils.
Judge now Chri&s;tian Reader, how neer the Church is to it's
dreadfull overthrow. Now here is the comfort, the&s;e troubles
and great calamities of the Church, are the &s;ure fore-runners of
the Church her great deliverance, the world cannot believe this,
<PB N="97" REF="55">
and the rea&s;on is, becau&s;e they have no true faith, nor patience,
though they talk much of it; an Hypocrites faith is not able to
defend him in &s;uch fiery afflictions, nor his patience able to go
through &s;uch miery ways of per&s;ecution, hypocrites many brag of
their helmet and brea&s;t plate, but onely reall Saints can &s;hew the
&s;hooes of patience and per&s;everance, &amp; the &s;hield of faith in &s;uch
times as the&s;e when hypocrites gracesare be jaded, the Saints go
on merrily, though hypocrites &s;ay 'tis impo&s;&s;ible the times &s;hould
turn, or that ever the Covenant-Reformation &s;hould be carryed
&s;on; &amp; therefore unworthy-timerous-profe&s;&s;ors now commonly
ay, <HI>Truly we are in the dark, we know not what to think:</HI> &s;uch a hy|pocrite
&s;ees if he hold to his principles he &s;hall be in the dark of
affliction; and therefore he makes a &s;top, and turns back: Another,
more &s;ubtil in his hypocri&s;ie, cries out for Brotherly-love, and
peaceable complyance: and he to follow after temporal peace,
ca&s;ts off the paths of righteou&s;ne&s;s again&s;t his oaths and vows; the
truth is, he is an hypocrite that hath not patience to walk in the
thorny-&s;tony-way of per&s;ecution; but a reall Saint hath the&s;e
two graces eminently &s;hining in him; he wil not di&s;pond nor mur|mure
again&s;t God, or the Cau&s;e of God, though the Cau&s;e of
God, and the Defenders of it be under great reproach, and cruell
p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">r&s;ecution; he'll believe in a per&s;ecuted, reproached, wounded,
for&s;aken, and crucified Chri&s;t, as well as in a glorified, and an ex|alted
Chri&s;t: and then he follows Chri&s;t patiently, through hun|ger,
and cold, and di&s;grace, as well as in the mid&s;t of pro&s;perity
and ea&s;e: he'll be in the &s;hip with Chri&s;t as well when that &s;hip is
in a &s;torm, as when 'tis in a calm, and all becau&s;e he hath a &s;trong
faith in Chri&s;t: he knows that he can never &s;ink &s;o long as Chri&s;t
is with him: he knows 'tis for the glory of that God whom he
&s;erves, to bring his people into the Valley of <HI>Achor,</HI> before he o|pen
a door of hope; 'tis true, the times are now &s;ad, and it is the
blacke&s;t day now with the Church of <HI>England,</HI> and <HI>Scotland,</HI> that
ever was known or &s;een: but is this an argument with a reall
Saint therefore to leave the Church? God forbid, a reall Saint
will tru&s;t in God; yea, and die for the truth, <HI>though he kill me, yet
will I tru&s;t in him:</HI> and therefore, by way of admiration, the Holy
Gho&s;t &s;aith, <HI>Here is the patience, and here is the faith of the Saints,
and here are they that keep the Commandements.</HI> There are without
<PB N="98" REF="56">
Apo&s;tates, Per&s;ecuters, Covenant-breakers, Traytors, unnaturall
men; but here are they that keep the Commandements, here's
Covenant-keepers, &s;incere wor&s;hippers of God; holding fa&s;t to
their principles: Their graces &s;hall in this age di&s;tingui&s;h them
from other men in the world by their con&s;tancy in the truth, and
their cheerful and patient bearing Chri&s;ts yoak.</P>
<P>Now here is the comfort, as this day none &s;hall be like it for af|fliction,
&s;o none &s;hall be like it for deliverance: This day, <HI>Jer.</HI> 30.
6, 7, 8. &s;ets forth the time of affliction, which &s;hall come upon the
Cdurch before the &s;eventh Trumpet which calls the twelve
Tribes to believe in Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>It &s;hall be a day of grievous &s;orrow for the pre&s;ent, &s;uch is a
womans in travel, which is grievous, but &s;hort, and it brings abun|dance
of comfort after the &s;orrow: but <HI>v.</HI> 7. tells us what kind of
trouble it &s;hall be, it is a day <HI>(i.e.</HI> a year) none hath been like it, it
is even the day of <HI>Jacob<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">s</HI> trouble: now <HI>Jacob's</HI> trouble you &s;hall
read in <HI>Gen.</HI> 32. The good-man was going from a cruel-ma&s;ter
with his wives, and all his &s;ub&s;tance, into <HI>Canaan;</HI> after he had
gone &s;ome days journey, his father-in-law pur&s;ues him fiercely
with armed men; but God delivering <HI>Jacob</HI> from that Enemy,
the very next news that he hears is that <HI>E&s;au,</HI> his brother <HI>E&s;au</HI>
was coming with an Army again&s;t him: What a &s;traight was poor
<HI>Jacob</HI> in, had he gone back, he had been made a &s;lave of by his cruel
Father-in-law: if he went forward, his own brother that came
out of the &s;ame womb, and &s;ucked of the &s;ame brea&s;t, would kill
him, and take his wives and all his &s;ub&s;tance: what a fright was
he in at this time? Even &s;o &s;hall the Church of God at this time,
immediatly before the &s;eed of <HI>Jacob</HI> return again to their own
country: the Church of God which hath been delivered from an
open cruel Enemy that per&s;ecuted her, &s;hall on a &s;udden, and un|expectedly,
fall into the bloudy hands of one that like <HI>E&s;au</HI>
comes out of the bowels of the Church; but it is an Apo&s;tate
that for the pottage of preferment, and worldly pomp, hath &s;old
him&s;elf to work all manner of mi&s;chief again&s;t the Church: but
here is the comfort in the &s;ame ver&s;e, yet the Church &s;hall be deli|vered
from it: in the Evening of this day it &s;hall be light to the
Church of God, and then follows the 12 Tribes conver&s;ion.</P>
<P>Q. But where &s;hall this great deliverance of the Church be?</P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> In <HI>E&s;ay 59. 18, 19. He will de&s;troy with his fury</HI> (the Lord Je|&s;us
<PB N="99" REF="56">
will) <HI>his enemies in the I&s;lands, &s;o &s;hall they fear his name from
the We&s;t, and his glory from the ri&s;ing of the Sun, His lightning &s;hall
&s;hine in the West when he comes to de&s;troy his enemies, Mat.</HI> 24. 27.
and this he will do by a mighty deliverance of the Church, for
when the Enemies &s;hall come like a floud (again&s;t which there's
no &s;tanding) then the Spirit of the Lord &s;hall lift up a &s;tandard a|gain&s;t
him, or (neerer the Copy) put him to flight, and then the
Lord Je&s;us will call the Tribes of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> the twelve Tribes, to &s;ub|mit
to the Go&s;pel: when mans power is not able to with&s;tand the
force of the Enemy, then God ari&s;eth.</P>
<P><HI>Q.</HI> But after what manner, or by what means will God con|vert
the twelve Tribes?</P>
<P><HI>A.</HI> The Holy Gho&s;t tells us, <HI>E&s;ay</HI> 49. 21, 22, 23. the whole chap|ter
is a de&s;cription of the glorious Go&s;pel-day when Chri&s;t &s;hall
deliver both Jews and Gentiles from the Devils bondage, and
Antichri&s;ts yoak, in <HI>v.</HI> 6. there's Chri&s;ts Commi&s;&s;ion to rai&s;e up the
Tribes of <HI>Jacob,</HI> God hath appointed him for that end, that he
may call the &s;cattered Tribes from the North, and from the we&s;t,
&amp; from the land of <HI>Sinim:</HI> but the Jew &s;hall &s;ay in his heart, <HI>Who
hath begotten me the&s;e &s;eeing I am barren, and de&s;olate, a captive and
a wanderer to and fro, and who hath nouri&s;hed them? Behold I was
left alone, whence are the&s;e?</HI> This is the que&s;tion that the Jews
ask at the time of their beginning to be converted, and brought
from the North, and from the We&s;t, and from the Land of <HI>Sinim.</HI>
But ob&s;erve the An&s;wer the Holy Gho&s;t gives, <HI>v. 22. Thus &s;aith
the Lord God, Behold I will lift up my hand to the Gentiles, and &s;et up
my standart to the people, and they &s;hall bring thy &s;ons in their armes,
and thy daughters &s;hall be carryed on their &s;houlders:</HI> The meaning
is, God will command the converted Gentiles, the Mini&s;ters of
the Gentile Church, and they &s;hall hold out the white flag of the
Go&s;pel of reconciliation by Je&s;us Chri&s;t (for that's Chri&s;ts Stan|dart)
and this &s;hall be the way of their conver&s;ion: but that's not
all, for in the next ver&s;e <HI>(v. 23.) and Kings &s;hall be thy nur&s;ing Fa|ther,
and Queens &s;hall be thy Nur&s;es:</HI> converted Gentile-Kings
&s;hall invite the Jews into their Kingdome, and give them leave
fairly to bring in their &s;cruples they have again&s;t Chri&s;t, and ap|point
men to &s;atisfie their doubts, give them leave (which the
<PB N="100" REF="57">
Pope will not do) to read the New Te&s;tament, and compare
Chri&s;tians principles with the, ir principles: For &s;o the Prophet
&s;aith, <HI>They &s;hall be converted they &s;hall &s;ee eye to eye,</HI> that is, by the
Eye of the Old Te&s;tament, they &s;hall &s;ee into the New; and by
the Eye of the New, they &s;hall &s;ee into the Old Te&s;tament-pro|phecies
fulfilled; &s;o that the godly Magi&s;tracy tho&s;e are Kings,
and the goldy Mini&s;tery, among&s;t the Gentiles, &s;hall be in&s;tru|ments
of converting the Jews.</P>
<P>Hereupon my hopes and grounds are, that God will by affli|ction
&s;o mould and frame the heart of the King of <HI>Scotland,</HI> and
then rai&s;e him to &s;o great a power, as that he will not only be the
great in&s;trument of throwing down Antichri&s;t, but al&s;o a great
in&s;trument in converting of the Jews, in the We&s;t-Indies, and
Ea&s;t-Indies, where the people thir&s;t abundantly after the Word,
but there are few to deal the bread of life to them. I have great
hopes that God will yet again, by an Engli&s;h Monarch, do migh|ty
things again&s;t Rome-Antichri&s;tian, and for the propagating
of the Go&s;pel: and my rea&s;ons are, Becau&s;e God cho&s;e the fir&s;t
Monarch in the world to be a Chri&s;tian, and a Defender of the
Faith in this Kingdom. <HI>Lucius</HI> was King of <HI>England,</HI> and he that
God cho&s;e to make the Vicar (as <HI>Elutherius</HI> Bi&s;hop of Rome &s;ty|led
him) this was <HI>Anno Chri&s;ti,</HI> 180.</P>
<P>Abou 120 years after, God rai&s;ed up out of this Kingdom a
Chri&s;tian Emperour, <HI>Con&s;tantine,</HI> who was the Son of <HI>Hellena</HI> that
beautiful <HI>Britti&s;h</HI> Prince&s;s.</P>
<P>This <HI>Constantine</HI> God made the great In&s;trument of throw|ing
down the Heathen Emperours, &amp; turning the whole Empire
from Pagani&s;m to Chri&s;tianity, He freed the Chri&s;tians from their
pri&s;ons, and &s;aved them from being any more tortured for <HI>Chri&s;t.</HI>
Since that time Religion was never quite extingui&s;hed; but the <HI>Bri|tti&s;h</HI>
people, notwith&s;tanding their afflictions, kept their Religion
among&s;t them, after Rome apo&s;tatized from its primitive purity,
&s;o far as from Rome-Chri&s;tian to become Rome-Antichri&s;tian.
We &s;hall find in Hi&s;tory, that the Engli&s;h Monarchs were the fir&s;t
that oppo&s;ed the Popes Tyranny. <HI>William</HI> the Conquerour was
one that &s;hewed him&s;elf an Enemy to the Popes pomp, and ty|ranny,
and u&s;urpation. It may truly be &s;aid that the Normans
<PB N="101" REF="57">
de&s;pi&s;ed and abhorred the Popes wicked u&s;urpation.</P>
<P>The <HI>Plantaginets</HI> curbed the Pope's in&s;olency: The
<HI>Tudars</HI> likewi&s;e unhor&s;ed the Popes. Ob&s;erve here how the
<HI>Tudars</HI> came in, <HI>Henry</HI> 7. married <HI>Eli&s;abeth</HI> the elde&s;t daughter
of <HI>Edward</HI> 4. and hereby unites the two Hou&s;es of York and
Lanca&s;ter: In the per&s;on of this King (&s;aith Sir <HI>Robert Naunton</HI>
in his book called <HI>Fragmenta Regalia)</HI> the royall &s;cepter fell
back into the current of the old Briti&s;h bloud, which by the in|va&s;ion
of the Saxons, and afterwards by the conque&s;t of the
Normans, had di&s;continued almo&s;t a thou&s;and years; &s;o that all
the German, Norman, Burgundian, Ca&s;talian, and French at|chievements,
with the intermarriages, which eight hundred yeares
had acquired and incorporated, were all brought back into the
old royall line of the ancient Briti&s;h Chri&s;tian Kings. This being
&s;o (which I verily believe) as 'tis one of the remarkable&s;t pa&s;&s;ages
in the world, &s;o 'tis that which makes exceedingly for my pur|po&s;e,
<HI>viz.</HI> That the Kings of England are the lawfull Magi&s;tracy
of England, and that they are no u&s;urpers, and therfore one of
the Witne&s;&s;es. This <HI>Henry</HI> 7. married his elde&s;t daughter <HI>Margaret</HI>
to the King of Scots. The <HI>Tudars</HI> expiring in Q. <HI>Elizabeth,</HI> the
off-&s;pring of <HI>Margaret,</HI> who was matched into the royall Fami|ly
of the <HI>Stuarts,</HI> &s;ucceeded Q. <HI>Elizabeth</HI> in the Engli&s;h throne by
a title cleer and unque&s;tionable. Now as the <HI>Tudars</HI> unhor&s;ed and
bani&s;hed the Pope, &s;o the <HI>Stuarts</HI> &s;tabbed the Pope; &s;o that as Eng|land
had the fir&s;t King that &s;ubjected this Kingdom to Chri&s;t, and
the fir&s;t Emperor that &s;ubjected the Roman Empire to Chri&s;t, and
the fir&s;t Kings that oppo&s;ed Antichri&s;t: And as King <HI>Iames</HI> was
the fir&s;t that proved the Pope to be Antichri&s;t, &s;o his &s;on was the
fir&s;t King that ever was openly put to death for fini&s;hing his te|&s;timony
again&s;t Antichri&s;t. Hence it appeares, that as Monarchy
before Chri&s;t was vi&s;ible in the Church from <HI>Adam</HI> untill Chri&s;t,
&s;o it hath been vi&s;ible in this Kingdom &s;ince Chri&s;t, from <HI>Lucius,</HI>
in a Chri&s;tian line of unque&s;tionable &s;ucce&s;&s;ion, unto this di&s;tre&s;|&s;ed
King of Scotland, now per&s;ecuted by Antichri&s;t. This King
was begot by a Prote&s;tant King, baptized by a Prote&s;tant Mini|ni&s;ter,
a Bi&s;hop; he was born the heire of three Prote&s;tant King|doms,
<PB N="102" REF="58">
and is the &s;ucce&s;&s;or of a Martyr, who laid down his life for
the maintenance of the Prote&s;tant Religion; and this King hath
covenanted to maintain the Prote&s;tant Religion; all which could
never be &s;aid of any King before; and therfore my hope and tru&s;t
is, that King <HI>Iames</HI> his Grandchild &s;hall be the King that &s;hall
throw down Rome Antichri&s;tian, and be the great In&s;trument of
making both Jews and Gentiles bow down to a reall reformati|on,
e&s;pecially when in all probability the&s;e three Kingdoms are
the Kingdoms where the Witne&s;&s;es &s;hall be &s;lain by the u&s;urpati|on
of a mean fellow, who &s;hall ari&s;e and &s;et up a new govern|ment,
and take upon him to be Lord of the three Kingdoms;
this all the Fathers have told us, from <HI>Dan.</HI> 7. 24, 25. and we &s;ee it
fulfilled in our eys. Now they &s;ay this vile fellow &s;hall reign but
three years and an half, and then he &s;hall fall with an utter ruine.
I have proved that in all probability 'tis this year that he &s;hall
fall, and have &s;hewed from Scripture what probability there is of
his fall in Scotland, it being the mountain of delights, and no o|ther
Kingdom in the world maintains &s;uch a lawfull Magi&s;tracy,
and rightly con&s;tituted Mini&s;tery, and &s;o reall, right and glorious
a reformation as Scotland doth. It hath been &s;hewed al&s;o, what
probability there is, from the time alotted to Antichri&s;t, the Pope,
the Bea&s;t that keeps the Witne&s;&s;es in &s;ackcloth, to reigne, which is
1260. years, which time is up about, 1651. and then from the
time of the Bea&s;t of the Earth, the Bea&s;t that coms out of the
bottomle&s;&s;e pit, his reign which began in 1647. and continues
three years and an half; &s;o that 'tis probable his reign will be ex|pired
in 1651. about the middle of this year, &amp; then 'tis probable
from his actions; for he throws down a lawfull and unque&s;tiona|ble
Magi&s;tracy, and then he mo&s;t bitterly and violently per&s;ecutes
the Mini&s;tery, which lawfull Magi&s;tracy and Mini&s;tery &s;hall have
a mighty victory over him, and &s;o ri&s;e up to their former dignity
again; but immediately before this victory they mu&s;t be in an
exceeding low condition, and in the eyes of the people of the
world pa&s;t recovery. All this we have made out clearly from
Scripture; and how&punc; clearly and manife&s;tly the&s;e Scriptures are in
part fulfilld, &amp; ha&s;tning to be accompli&s;hed, I leave to every &s;ober|minded
man to judg; &s;o that my merry Dr. that is &s;o confident
<PB N="103" REF="58">
of his holy Democracy, and holy Army, unle&s;&s;e he can prove
them to be the &s;lain Witne&s;&s;es that were &s;lain and per&s;ecuted by
the Bea&s;t ari&s;ing out of the bottomle&s;&s;e pit, and thrown down
and worn out by the little horn, <HI>Dan.</HI> 7. that ri&s;eth and reigneth
over three kingdoms (where the Go&s;pel is purely profe&s;&s;ed) three
years and an half, in which time he changeth their Lawes and Cu|&s;toms:
unle&s;&s;e he prove them &s;o, out of his own mouth we &s;hall
clearly overthrow him; for <HI>p.</HI> 33. 34. there he undertakes to prove
from <HI>Dan.</HI> 7. 14. &amp; <HI>v.</HI> 27. that Monarchy &s;hal be thrown down,
and now 'tis on the tragicall &s;tage for that end, and all to make
way for Chri&s;ts vi&s;ible Kingdom on earth: This honor of throw|ing
down Monarchy, and exalting Democracy, is given (he &s;aith)
to his holy ones, according to that text <HI>Dan.</HI> 7. 27. the kingdom,
and Dominion, and greatne&s;&s;e of the kingdom under the heaven
&s;hall be given to the people of the Saints of the mo&s;t high.</P>
<P>Let me intreat the Reader to ob&s;erve but the time when the
kingdom &s;hall be given to the Saints, in <HI>Dan.</HI> 7. it is at that time
<HI>(v. 8.)</HI> when the little horn that ri&s;eth after the other &s;tates &s;ub|ject
to Rome, and plucks up three of the fir&s;t hornes or king|doms;
ob&s;erve, this the Doctor confe&s;&s;eth is in the end of the
Roman Monarchy: if &s;o (which is undeniable) then let all the
world judge, what little horn is lately ro&s;e to u&s;urp three king|doms,
is not this text vi&s;ibly fulfilled in the &s;ight of all <HI>Europe?</HI>
But then ob&s;erve, <HI>v.</HI> 9, 10. Chri&s;t comes, (is in <HI>Rev. 10. 1, 2.)</HI> and in
<HI>v.</HI> 11. this little horn was &s;lain, and given to the burning flame;
'tis the &s;ame with <HI>Rev.</HI> 19, 20. where he was ca&s;t into the lake bur|ning;
and then <HI>v.</HI> 13, 14. Chri&s;t &s;et up his Kingdom, which is both
a glorious and everla&s;ting kingdom; and <HI>v.</HI> 24, 25. this little horn
is cleerly de&s;cribed to be the Witne&s;&s;e &s;laying Bea&s;t, who &s;hall
continue three years and an half, and then immediately followes
Chri&s;t, <HI>v.</HI> 26, 27. coming forth to de&s;troy this Bea&s;t, and then as
in <HI>Rev.</HI> 11. all the kingdoms in the world become Chri&s;ts, &amp; <HI>Rev.</HI>
20. 4. thrones are &s;et, &amp; then the Saints <HI>(i. e.)</HI> the Witne&s;&s;es &s;it up|on
them; &s;o that the meaning is not that Chri&s;t will throw down
Kingly Government or Monarchy in the Church, but that he will
rai&s;e a godly Magi&s;tracy and a godly Mini&s;tery to a higher degree
of power then ever before, and thereby the reall Saints of
<PB N="104" REF="59">
God &s;hall have greater freedome then formerly. The two
Witne&s;&s;es &s;hall goe no more in &s;ackcloth, but put on white
linnen. 'Tis true, U&s;urpers and Tyrants &s;hall bee throwne
downe; the Tyrannicall Independent Monarcy of Rome &s;hall
be thrown down, and the tyrannicall u&s;urped Democracy of
<HI>England</HI> &s;hall be thrown down, who give the Bea&s;t of the Earth
their power and &s;trength, <HI>Rev.</HI> 17. 13. and with that &s;trength go
forth again&s;t the Lamb; and the Lamb &s;hall overcome them, for
he is the King of kings, and Lord of lords; that's his Motto, in
<HI>Rev.</HI> 19. 19. When he fights again&s;t this Bea&s;t, and overcomes him,
'tis one and the &s;ame battel: the&s;e &s;hall be overcome, and over|thrown
for ever: but the Witne&s;ses though they are &s;lain, and the
Doctor and all the Antichri&s;tian Rabble make merry, and keep
Thank&s;giving days: yet they &s;hall ari&s;e again, &s;tand upon their
legs, and a&s;cend in power and authority, and glory, above their
Enemies. But why do I &s;tand to confute the Doctor when he
confutes him&s;elf in his own book, in <HI>p.</HI> 9. He approves that there
was Kingly Government from <HI>Noah;</HI> for <HI>Sem</HI> he &s;aith was King
of <HI>Salem;</HI> and yet in <HI>p.</HI> 39. of the &s;ame book he accounts of Kings
as Antichri&s;tian, and &s;aith, that they that uphold Kings, uphold
Antichri&s;t: &s;o that by this account (as <HI>p.</HI> 22. confirms it, for there
he u&s;eth this as a motive to pra&s;e, becau&s;e Monarchy is turned in|to
Democracie) it &s;eems Antichri&s;tian power was in the World
as &s;oon as <HI>Abraham,</HI> if Kings be Antichri&s;tian in the Church: But
why do I &s;ay &s;o much, when I have heard the man within this
the&s;e two years in a publick Auditory, profe&s;s him&s;elf no Enemy
to Kingly Government or Monarchy, but onely to the exce&s;s of
Monarchy, and tyranny of Kings: and yet here he puts on with all
vehemency the people, to prai&s;e God for the de&s;truction of
Kingly Government, and the promotion of Democracie.</P>
<P>But why did I meddle at all with him who knoweth not what
he &s;aith? For if we begin with him, we &s;hall find him in a gro&s;s
mi&s;take, he &s;aith in <HI>p.</HI> 2. that we are now under the &s;ixth Seal, and
&s;ixth Trumpet of that Seal; and under the end of the fourth Viall
of that Trumpet or the fifth.</P>
<P><PB N="97" REF="59">
Whereas the &s;ixth Seal was opened, <HI>Revel.</HI> 6. 12. when <HI>Con|&s;tantine</HI>
the great overthrew the Pagan Empire, and ca&s;t out
of office all the per&s;ecuting Tyrants both in <HI>Rome,</HI> and
throughout the Romane Empire, which was at lea&s;t 1300.
yeers &s;ince; and yet we are but under the opening the &s;ixth
Seal: whereas none of the Trumpets &s;ounded untill the &s;ixth
Seal was pa&s;t, and the &s;eventh Seal was opened, as is manife&s;t
by <HI>Revel.</HI> 8. 1, 2. And as for the time of the &s;ixth Trumpet
&s;ounding, it was <HI>(Rev. 9. 14.)</HI> when the foure angels were let
loo&s;e which were bound in <HI>Euphrates,</HI> that was when the <HI>Sa|razens</HI>
and <HI>Turks</HI> began to be eminent for their victories, and
&s;ucce&s;&s;es in War, which was about 700. yeers &s;ince: and then
he &s;aith we are under the fourth viall of the &s;ixth Trumpet.
Whereas tis evident, that not one of the vials are to be powred
out untill the 7th Trumpet &s;oundeth, this I have proved
already. I'le onely adde this, that the &s;eventh Trumpet is the
<HI>Alpha</HI> and <GAP DESC="foreign">, of the vials, and thats clear from the&s;e foure
Texts in <HI>Revel:</HI> 11. 15. There the &s;eventh Trumpet &s;ounds,
and after that, <HI>v. 19. the Temple of God was opened in heaven and
then there were lightnings, and voices, and thundrings, and an earth|quake,
and great hail,</HI> that is, the vials of Gods wrath on his
enemies. And in <HI>Revel. 15. 5. The temple of the Tabernacle of the
Te&s;timony in heaven was opened,</HI> and after that the &s;even Angels
powred out their vials; &s;o that the &s;eventh Trumpet &s;ound|ing
before the Temple in heaven was open, mu&s;t needs be be|fore
the vials were powred out. Thus the &s;eventh Trumpet
is the <GAP DESC="foreign">. And in <HI>Revel.</HI> 10. 7. compared with <HI>Revel:</HI> 16. 17. there
when the &s;eventh Trumpet &s;ounded, the my&s;tery of God
&s;hould be fini&s;hed; and when the &s;eventh viall was powred
out, there came the &s;ame voice from the throne, and &s;aid, It
is fini&s;hed: &s;o that the &s;eventh Trumpet both begins, and fi|ni&s;heth
the vials on the enemies of the Church. So that by
this you may judge of the Doctors &s;oundne&s;&s;e of judgement
in a prophetick Truth. Truly I do beleeve (excepting the
<HI>Ingagement)</HI> you &s;hall &s;carce finde in &s;o few words &s;o many in|tellectuall
errors in any Hereticks writing what&s;oever, as in
the&s;e few words of the Doctors, that I have repeated. And as
his <HI>the&s;is</HI> is, &s;uch is his <HI>hipothe&s;is;</HI> as are his premi&s;&s;es, &s;uch are
<PB N="98" REF="60">
his conclu&s;ions, exceeding ab&s;urd, and fal&s;e; and therefore I
leave him. Here I intended to break off, but at I was &s;hutting
up, a Book came newly to my hand, called, <HI>A De&s;cription of
the Hi&s;tory of Europe from 1650. to</HI> 1710. I do not cen&s;ure the Au|thor,
for he &s;peaks mode&s;tly, and concerning the calling of
the Jews; what he &s;peaks on Scripturall grounds, he &s;peaks
both learnedly, and judiciou&s;ly. But as for tho&s;e A&s;trologi|call
predictions, no where grounded on Scripture, I hold them
dangerous foperies, and no more to be credited then an old
wives fable, or <HI>Lillies</HI> Almanack, there is one great mi&s;take
i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter"> it, which I finde al&s;o in many other learned Authors, and
that is concerning the binding of Satan a thou&s;and yeers.
This mi&s;take of the Author makes him fall foule upon inno|cent
<HI>Al&s;ted</HI> and <HI>Beucholclers,</HI> for <HI>Al&s;tedius</HI> and <HI>Beucholclers,</HI> and
&s;everall other learned men, do hold that there &s;hall be a thou|&s;and
yeers felicity of the Church after the Dragon is bound,
and ca&s;t into the bottomle&s;&s;e pit, they &s;ay, this time of the
Church her felicity &s;hall begin about the yeer 1694. their
ground for it is from <HI>Dan: 12. 12. Ble&s;&s;ed is he that cometh to the
1335 dayes, i. e.</HI> yeers: Now count from the time the daily &s;a|crifice
was taken away, which was (&s;aith <HI>Brightman,</HI> and
others) in the yeer 360. now adde 1335. to 360. and it makes
1695. yeers. The mo&s;t &s;ound and Scripturall opinion is on
the&s;e words of <HI>Daniel,</HI> that at the end of the 1290. dayes,
&s;poken of in <HI>v:</HI> 11 (which dayes are at an end this yeer 1650.)
then the Jews conver&s;ion &s;hall be begun; and in 1695. they
&s;hall be &s;etled in their own Nation, under one King, this is
backed with undenyable Scripture out of the old Te&s;tament,
and the beginning of their Conver&s;ion neer 1650. is evident|ly
demon&s;trated by Chri&s;t him&s;elf, in <HI>Matth.</HI> 24. in <HI>Luke</HI> 21.
in <HI>Mark.</HI> 13. in <HI>Revel.</HI> 11. and in many places in the <HI>Revel:</HI> as
<HI>Revel.</HI> 16. 17. and <HI>Rev.</HI> 1. 7.</P>
<P>Now becau&s;e they &s;ay, that after the 1000. yeers felicitie
and tranquillitie of the Church, the war of <HI>Gog</HI> &amp; <HI>Magog</HI> &s;hall
beg in; which enemies &s;hall be de&s;troyed by Chri&s;ts coming to
judgement: this opinion (&s;aith he that confutes it) is far
wide from the true mark. For, &s;aith he, the true number
(meaning I &s;uppo&s;e, the time of the war of <HI>Gog</HI> and <HI>Magog</HI>
<PB N="99" REF="60">
mu&s;t begin, <HI>Anno</HI> 1072. at the Epiration of the former, mean|ing
the thou&s;and yeers binding of Satan, which he holds to
begin at the incarnation of Chri&s;t, and la&s;ted a thou&s;and
yeers; or at the de&s;truction of the 2d. Temple by <HI>Titus, Anno</HI>
71. So that at the end of 1072. this Author &s;aith the fight of
<HI>Gog</HI> and <HI>Magog</HI> mu&s;t begin: this time, he &s;aith, is tearmed to
be a thou&s;and yeers, and is to be under&s;tood of that time
that the world &s;hall la&s;t after 1072 in pag. 7. he &s;aith, that
the Devill, and Antichri&s;tianity mu&s;t be chained up in the
dungeon of hell for a thou&s;and yeers after the incarnation of
Chri&s;t; and then in the yeer of Chri&s;t 1000. mu&s;t the devill,
and Romi&s;h Idolatry by the Popedome of <HI>Sylve&s;ter</HI> 2d. be let
loo&s;e to reign upon the earth, and tyrannize over the Church
for the mo&s;t part of another thou&s;and yeers, even till <HI>Anno</HI>
1709. and after that the fifth Monarchy of Chri&s;t mu&s;t be
erected, as afterwards he affirms.</P>
<P>But to refute in a word this gro&s;&s;e mi&s;take, we do affirm,
that this opinion is altogether groundle&s;&s;e, and meerly fan|ta&s;tick;
for he brings not a word of Scripture to confirm his
opinion: nay, I mu&s;t affirm 'tis altogether contrary to Scrip|ture.
For, 1. he makes Antichri&s;t to be in being from the
incarnation of Chri&s;t; which Antichri&s;t in the Apocaliptick
&s;ence, was not in being till 390 yeers after Chri&s;t, not untill
the fifth Trumpet &s;ounded&punc; <HI>Revel.</HI> 9. 5. 2. He makes Antichri&s;t
to be chained up a thou&s;and yeers, and then to ri&s;e again;
whereas the <HI>Revelation</HI> te&s;tifies the contrary, that when he
fals he &s;hall be ca&s;t into hell: <HI>Revel.</HI> 19. 20. out of which there
is no redemption; and <HI>Babylon</HI> &s;hall fall like a mil&s;tone into
the bottome of the Sea, which &s;hall never be recovered again.
3. He detracts from the time of Antichri&s;ts reign allotted by
the holy Gho&s;t: for <HI>(Rev. 13. 5.)</HI> Antichri&s;t was to continue
1260. yeers, but this man allows him but 698. yeers, in all,
in which he diam<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">trally oppo&s;eth the Scripture at concern|ing
Antichri&s;t. But concerning the devils being bound a
thou&s;and yeers from Chri&s;ts incarnation, or 72. yeers after,
this is &s;o apparently oppugnant to the Scriptures, that I do
admire that any that hath read the <HI>Revelations</HI> &s;hould affirm
it. Yet is it not this mans opinion alone, but <HI>Brightman, Pareus
<PB N="100" REF="61">
Andreas,</HI> and &s;everall other Writers are of, or neer the &s;ame
opinion.</P>
<P>Which opinion I prove is ab&s;olutely again&s;t plain texts of
Scripture; as for the fir&s;t 300. yeers after Chri&s;t, the devil was
&s;o loo&s;e as that he &s;ate in the throne, the <HI>Romane</HI> throne, and
murthered the Saints, untill <HI>Con&s;tantine</HI> came. <HI>Revel.</HI> 12. And
then after <HI>Con&s;tantine</HI> the Devil was not chained, though he
were ca&s;t out of the <HI>Romane</HI> Throne. For <HI>Revel:</HI> 12. 13. 15. 17.
after his ca&s;ting down he per&s;ecuted the Church, and ca&s;t a
Flood of <HI>Arrian</HI> Here&s;ie after her, and he was wrath with the
Church, and went to make war with her: &s;o that after <HI>Con|&s;tantine</HI>
he was not chained. For in <HI>Rev.</HI> 13. 2. there the Devill
gave the Pope his power, and great Authority.</P>
<P>Ne<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">ther was the D<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">vill chained up, nor &s;ealed in the bot|tomle&s;&s;e
pit afterwards, for if we look downward into Hi&s;to|ries,
we &s;hall &s;ee the Popes the Devils familiars, or the devill
their familiar, how many of them were Conjurors, and how
frequently was the devill called to their greate&s;t enterpri&s;es?
the devill was as twere &s;ole Monark throughout the world,
a great while, from the year 500 to 1000. how did Ignorance
raign throughout the world, and afterward when the &s;ight
of the Go&s;pel began to look through the Clouds again, how
did the devill and his In&s;truments be&s;tir them to &s;uppre&s;&s;e
that light, by cruell per&s;ecutions, and &s;o they have continued
untill this day, <HI>Germany, France, Holland, England,</HI> and <HI>Scotland,</HI>
at this day know how bu&s;ie the Devill is to overthrow the
Church by here&s;ies, to &s;educe them by temptations of all
&s;orts, to in&s;nare them, and by his inhumane Butchers with a
potent hand to murther the poor Church, &s;o that I &s;uppo&s;e no
man will &s;ay that &s;ince the Incarnation of Chri&s;t, the devill
hath been bound a 1000 years, no &s;carce a thou&s;and dayes,
&s;o that neither Hi&s;tory nor Scripture hold out any &s;uch thing
as that Satan &s;ince Chri&s;ts incarnation hitherto, hath been
bound a 1000 years, they are &s;o far from it, that they ab&s;o|lutely
prove the contrary, &s;o that now it falls happily in my
way to di&s;cour&s;e of that 6th. propo&s;ition which long &s;ince I
laid down, <HI>(viz:)</HI> that the 1000 years binding of Satan, and
the 1000 years Raigning of the Witne&s;&s;es, doth not begin un|till
<PB N="101" REF="61">
the great Battel be fought again&s;t the Bea&s;t, and the fal&s;e
Prophet.</P>
<P>It is cleer from the Text, that Satan is not bound untill
the Battel be fought again&s;t the Bea&s;t, and the fal&s;e Prophet,
<HI>Rev.</HI> 19. 20. And at that time Sathan is bound, for <HI>Rev:</HI> 20. 1.
2, 3. is coupled with a (<GAP DESC="foreign">) to the former, to &s;hew that the
Bea&s;t, the fal&s;e Prophet, and the Dragon, go to de&s;truction at
one and the &s;ame time. Indeed <HI>Beza</HI> tran&s;lates [<GAP DESC="foreign">] <HI>deinde</HI> af|ter
that, I know no rea&s;on for it, but in <HI>Bezas</HI> &s;ence, I have
this advantage, that he proves the Devill is bound after the
Bea&s;t, and the fal&s;e Prophet are de&s;troyed not before, but the
Bea&s;t and the fal&s;e Prophet are not yet de&s;troyed, therefore
the Devill hath not as yet been bound; but I &s;hall follow the
vulgar tran&s;lation of [<GAP DESC="foreign">] and read it [and] <HI>Rev:</HI> 20. 1, 2, 3.
In the fir&s;t ver&s;e you have the Angel that binds him, who is
di&s;cribed by his power, he hath the key of Hell, and a migh|ty
chain that is irre&s;i&s;table force, this is none other but the
Lord Je&s;us, he that fought the Battel again&s;t the Bea&s;t, and
the fal&s;e Prophet, and de&s;troyed them irrecoverably, the
&s;ame binds the Devil with an inviolable chaine, for a 1000
years, this binding with a chain is an expre&s;&s;ion &s;etting forth
the glorious Conque&s;t that Chri&s;t &s;hall get in the fight over
all his Enemies, the Devill &s;hall be bound in a great chaine
and ca&s;t into Pri&s;on, and &s;ealed up there, and an inviolable
lock &s;hall be hanged on the Pri&s;on door for a 1000 years, <HI>v:</HI> 3.
You have the end of his &s;hutting up, it is that he &s;hould de|ceive
the Nations no more untill a 1000 years be expired, and
after that he mu&s;t be loo&s;ed a little &s;ea&s;on, hence you may
know that the devils kingdom is, &amp; where it is, it is among&s;t
the kingdoms profe&s;&s;ing the Go&s;pel, tis that of here&s;ie, and
bla&s;phemy, and hipocri&s;ie, and lies, and deceit. Ob&s;erve now
what immediately <HI>John</HI> &s;aw after the binding of Satan, <HI>v: 4.
And I &s;aw thrones, and they &s;ate upon them, and judgement was given
unto them, and I &s;aw the &s;ouls of them that were cut off with the Ax,
for the te&s;timony of Je&s;us, and for the word of God; and &s;ome certain
Souls which had not wor&s;hipped the Bea&s;t, nor his Image, neither had
received his mark upon their forheads, or in their hands, and they lived
and raigned with Chri&s;t a thou&s;and years.</HI></P>
<P><PB N="102" REF="62">
Three things this Text cleerly holds out. 1. The &s;eventh
Trumpet &s;ounding. 2. The &s;lain witne&s;&s;es ri&s;ing. 3. The
Church her happy &s;tate on earth, after the &s;eventh Trumpet
&s;ounding, and the witne&s;&s;es ri&s;ing.</P>
<P><HI>And I &s;aw Thrones, and then &s;ate upon them: and judgement
was given unto them.</HI> This <HI>John</HI> &s;aw after (ob&s;erve the time)
the Bea&s;t, and the fal&s;e Prophet, and the Dragon were over|come.
The &s;ame we &s;hall find in <HI>Dan.</HI> 7. 14. 22. and 27. There
the little horn that <HI>v:</HI> 27. &s;peaks great words again&s;t God,
wears out the Saints, and thinks to change times and laws,
all which are given into his hand a time, times, and the de|viding
of times, after which the Judgment &s;hall &s;it, <HI>v:</HI> 29. and
&s;hall take away his dominion, this Judgment <HI>(v: 22.)</HI> is gi|ven
to the Saints, in <HI>v:</HI> 27. the kingdom and dominion, and
greatne&s;&s;e of the kingdom under the whole Heaven, &s;hall be
given to the people of the Saints of the mo&s;t high, this is the
immediate con&s;equence of the de&s;truction of the little horn,
which we have proved is the &s;ame with the Bea&s;t of the earth
<HI>Rev:</HI> 13. 11. and <HI>Rev:</HI> 11. 17. in <HI>Rev:</HI> 11. you find the &s;ame
thing expre&s;&s;ed, that hower that the Bea&s;t that &s;lew the wit|ne&s;&s;es,
was with his party de&s;troyed, <HI>(v:</HI> 13. [7000] that is
many thou&s;and [men of name] that is of tho&s;e that were
numbred by their name, or accounted Saints for their
good &s;ucce&s;&s;e, and great repute that they have gotten, by
their Victories, or men that received the number of the bea&s;t
name in their hands and foreheads, the ingagers, when tho&s;e
were de&s;troyed, the &s;ame houre the Witne&s;&s;es <HI>(v: 12.)</HI> aro&s;e,
were called up, and a&s;cended into Heaven in a Cloud, though
the expre&s;&s;ion differ, yet the thing intended in the expre&s;&s;i|on
is the &s;ame, for it &s;ets forth the high degree of exaltation,
to which the &s;lain Witne&s;&s;es &s;hould attain, they &s;hall be a|bove
the reach of their enemies both in glory and power
throughout the world, at the &s;ame time when all the king|doms
of the world are become the Lord and his Chri&s;ts, <HI>ver:</HI>
26. The 24. Elders &s;it in their &s;eats, and rejoyce that Chri<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="2 letters">
hath received his kingdom, and at the &s;ame time <HI>Rev: 19. v:</HI>
4, 5, 6. You have the &s;ame &s;ong, from the Throne and the
Elders, the meaning is, they keep Thank&s;giving dayes,
for the ri&s;ing of the Witne&s;&s;es, this is all one with <HI>Dan:</HI> 7. 14.
<PB N="103" REF="62">
which is the immediate con&s;equence of the little horns de|&s;truction,
for there the kingdoms of the earth became Chri&s;ts,
and here in the Text <HI>John</HI> &s;aw Thrones, and Judgment was
given to them, rhat is to the Saints, now what Saints the&s;e
are to whom tho&s;e Thrones are given, <HI>John</HI> in the next words
declares, and I &s;aw the Souls of them that were beheaded, or
(as <HI>Beza</HI> reads it) &s;mitten with the Ax, for the te&s;timony of
Je&s;us, here are two infallible marks whereby to know that
tho&s;e that &s;it on the&s;e thrones, are the &s;lain Witne&s;&s;es; 1. By
their &s;ufferings they are beheaded. 2. By their actions which
was the cau&s;e of their &s;ufferings; It was for the te&s;timony of
Je&s;us, for fini&s;hing their Te&s;timony, <HI>Rev.</HI> 11. 7. that the Wit|ne&s;&s;es
were cut off, this gives us a wonderfull clear Character
of the &s;lain Magi&s;tracy, which by the Ax and the Sword were
removed cut of the way, when they were re&s;olved to root out
Popery, and to e&s;tabli&s;h true Religion, then comes the fatall
Ax and Sword, and removes the&s;e Witne&s;&s;es, this is &s;o cleer
that he that will not be ob&s;tinately blind mu&s;t of nece&s;&s;ity &s;ee
it fulfilled in his &s;ight this day, and po&s;itively conclude,
That the Magi&s;tracy of <HI>England</HI> is that Witne&s;&s;e that was
thus cut off, but then the Mini&s;try you &s;hall &s;ee in the next
clau&s;e. <HI>And which had not wor&s;hipped the Bea&s;t, nor his I|magt,
nor received his mark in their foreheads, or in their
hands.</HI> As the precedent clau&s;e &s;ets forth the Magi&s;tracy, by
their doings and &s;ufferings, &s;o this clau&s;e &s;eems to me, to de|&s;cribe
the Mini&s;ters doings and &s;ufferings. Indeed the Engli&s;h
tran&s;lation &s;eems to joyn it with the other, becau&s;e they leave
out the word [<GAP DESC="foreign">,] or tran&s;late it not right, few of the
Latine Tran&s;lations render it full enough, for it may well
be rendred, as I conceive, thus: and certain &s;ome who
have not adored the Bea&s;t, nor his Image, nor receives
his Mark, The&s;e are tho&s;e that &s;uffered for not acknowledg|ing
the Bea&s;ts of the earths God <HI>Mauzzim</HI> his &s;word power,
his new erected Government, they would not &s;ubmit to his
Government, nor &s;ub&s;cribe to his Ingagement, nor pray for
them, nor Preach for them.</P>
<P>The&s;e &s;uffer for not &s;ub&s;cribing to the Government &s;et up,
as the Magi&s;tracy &s;uffered for oppo&s;ing the &s;etting of it up,
<PB N="104" REF="63">
here is a cleer di&s;cription of the two Witne&s;&s;es, by their &s;uffe|ring
under the Bea&s;t of the earth for this Image, and number
and mark, can be attributed to nothing but the Bea&s;t of the
earths new Government, and way of e&s;tabli&s;hing it, &s;o that
this Text cleerly tels us, 1. Who &s;hall po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e the Throne,
<HI>viz:</HI> the Witne&s;&s;es ri<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">ing. 2. When it is, when the Bea&s;t the
fal&s;e Prophet, and the Dragon are overthrown by Chri&s;t, and
when the Witne&s;&s;es ari&s;e up, and a&s;cend above their enemies
that &s;lew them.</P>
<P>This time is called <HI>v:</HI> 5. The fir&s;t re&s;urrection for two rea|&s;ons,
fir&s;t, to di&s;tingui&s;h this time from the day of Judgment,
the la&s;t re&s;urrection, for that &s;hall not be untill a thou&s;and
years after this re&s;urrection, (if in <HI>v: 7.)</HI> by a thou&s;and years
be meant a definite time, which is di&s;putable.</P>
<P>2. It is called a re&s;urrection, becau&s;e this is the time of the
Witne&s;&s;es ri&s;ing from their &s;laine condition, and &s;tanding
upon their legs again, <HI>Rev.</HI> 11. 11. A Covenant reformation,
of Covenanting reformers &s;hall &s;tand up again to the terror
of all that oppo&s;e it, this re&s;urrection of the witne&s;&s;es alluds
to that of Chri&s;t, for as the Witne&s;&s;es mu&s;t be conformable to
Chri&s;t in their &s;ufferings, &s;o <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">he d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">y of the re&s;urrection of the
Witne&s;&s;es &s;hall produce &s;uch like effects, for as after Chri&s;ts
great and unexpected loud voice on the Cro&s;&s;e, there was an
earth-quake, and the Vale of the Temple rent, that the holy
of holies might be &s;een of all, and the day was al&s;o a dark
day, &s;o at the &s;laying of the Witne&s;&s;es, <HI>Rev:</HI> 11. 13. there &s;hall
be a great earthquake, and loud voices crying, It is fini&s;hed,
it &s;hall be a dark day, and the Temple of the Tabernacle of
the te&s;timony in Heaven &s;hall be opened, and the Jews &s;hall
ri&s;e out of their &s;piritual graves of unbelief, as the fore-cited
texts tell us.</P>
<P>And as at Chri&s;ts re&s;urrection, an Angel appeared like
lightening and his raiment as white as &s;now, and Chri&s;t ap|pears
on the Mount with his di&s;ciples, <HI>Math.</HI> 28. 16. And
makes known his monarchicall power, making his Di&s;ciples
Apo&s;tles, and &s;ending them forth to conquer the world, &s;o
&s;hall it be at the Witne&s;&s;es ri&s;ing&punc; the glorious Angel &s;hall
appear, the earth &s;hall quake, the Soldiers that &s;lew the Wit|ne&s;&s;es
<PB N="113" REF="63">
&s;hall quake: the Lamb and his &s;ealed ones &s;hall &s;tand
on Mount <HI>Sion,</HI> and Chri&s;ts power by his Witne&s;&s;es, &s;ucce&s;&s;e|full
progre&s;&s;e again&s;t his enemies, &s;hall be manife&s;t to the
world. And to this I might adde another Rea&s;on why tis
called a re&s;urrection; becau&s;e at this time God will call the
Jews out of their graves of unbelief, unto &s;pirituall life by
&s;ubjecting them to the Go&s;pel. As, <HI>Ezek.</HI> 37. 12, 13. in tho&s;e
two ver&s;es he promi&s;eth foure times to call them out of their
graves, <HI>v:</HI> 9. from the foure winds. And <HI>Dan.</HI> 12. 1, 2. after the
Bea&s;t that &s;ets up the god <HI>Mazzim</HI> is de&s;troyed in the moun|tain
of holine&s;&s;e, that is, the Bea&s;t that &s;l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">ys the Witne&s;&s;es is
de&s;troyed in that kingdom, where the Go&s;pel Magi&s;tracie,
Go&s;pel Mini&s;tery, Go&s;pel ordinances, and Go&s;pel purity is
pre&s;erved, then immediately follows the &s;eventh Trumpet,
where Chri&s;t &s;tands up for the people; and at that time the
Jews &s;hall be delivered, and they that &s;leep in the du&s;t &s;hall
awake; the Jews that have long lyen in the du&s;t &s;hall awake,
they &s;hall be brought from unbeleif to make profe&s;&s;ion of the
Go&s;pel. Though all &s;hall not be internally called to everla&s;t|ing
&s;alvation, yet they &s;hall all be called into an externall
profe&s;&s;ion: &s;o that in the&s;e re&s;pects I conceive this time of
the Enemies overthrow. And the Church her ri&s;ing may well
be called the fir&s;t re&s;urrection after the&s;e three grand Enemies
de&s;truction within the Church; the Church &s;hall have a large
time of freedome, from &s;pirituall enemies, as from Hereticks,
and Idolaters, and bla&s;phemers, which are the proper &s;ub|jects
of the&s;e three Arch Enemies. And after this large time
of tranquillity, both to the Jews and Gentiles, <HI>v:</HI> 7, 8. Satan
&s;hall gather both open and &s;ecret, covered and uncovered
Enemies, <HI>Gog</HI> and <HI>Magog</HI> in infinite numbers again&s;t the
Saints: And then <HI>v:</HI> 10, 11, 12, 13. comes ab&s;olutely the day
of judgement: And then the &s;tate of the Saints in perfect and
eternall bli&s;&s;e, and happine&s;&s;e is &s;et forth in <HI>Revel:</HI> 21. but of
the day of judgement, and the &s;tate of bli&s;&s;e, Ile daily medi|tate,
and forbear to write at this time.</P>
<P>There is onely one Que&s;tion that I intend to an&s;wer, and
then Ile &s;hut up this Di&s;cour&s;e, and that is, &s;ince the Bea&s;t of
the Sea is at <HI>Rome,</HI> and hath his r<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;idence there, and the Bea&s;t
of
<PB N="114" REF="64">
the earth is now in <HI>Scotland,</HI> and the devill is reigning tho|rowout
the world, either by Pagani&s;me, or Mahomati&s;me, or
Popi&s;h Idolatry, or by Independencie, under which Banner
he leads his troops of Traitors, and &s;quadrons of bla&s;phe|mers,
and Hereticks, how &s;hall all the&s;e be overthrown at one
&s;et battell about this yeer 1651. &s;ince tis impo&s;&s;ible all the&s;e
three Enemies &s;hall be at the battell in per&s;on.</P>
<P>The Que&s;tion is &s;omewhat hard to be determined po&s;i|tively,
yet this is clear from the Scripture, that this great bat|tell,
<HI>Revel:</HI> 19. 19, 20. is that battell that &s;hall be fought by
the Witne&s;&s;es after they are ri&s;en from their &s;lain condition,
and this battell is fought again&s;t the Bea&s;t that &s;lays the
Witne&s;&s;es, that is, the Bea&s;t of the Earth, that little Horn in
<HI>Dan.</HI> 7. 26, 27. and <HI>Dan.</HI> 11. 4, 5. and again&s;t the Bea&s;t of the
bottomle&s;&s;e pit, and his company which makes merry, <HI>(Rev.
11. 10.)</HI> for the de&s;truction of the Witne&s;&s;es; now how can it
be &s;aid that when this Bea&s;t and his party are overcome,
that then the Bea&s;t, and the fal&s;e Prophet, and the Dragon
are over-come? <HI>A.</HI> 1. To this we an&s;wer in two words. 1.
They may virtually, and potentially all three fall when one
fals: &s;o the whole ho&s;ts of the <HI>Phili&s;tines</HI> fell when <HI>Goliah</HI> fell.
2. Then when this Bea&s;t of the Earth fals, all the three begin
to fall, and from that day never ri&s;e more; their chief plots
and devices &s;hall be di&s;covered, and broken, and their vil|lanie
&s;hall be di&s;covered to the whole world, which &s;hall
make the ten Horns to hate the Whore, and burn her with
fire. Or who can tell but that at this battell the cheif &s;trength
of the Pope, the grand Hereticks who are the devils E&s;quires,
and the cheif and grand Traitors again&s;t the Laws, and Re|ligion
of <HI>England,</HI> may be all in that battell overcome? Or
thus, at three Kings in one per&s;on, by the Bea&s;t of the earth,
were overthrown, &s;o the three grand enemies of the Church
in that one per&s;on of the Bea&s;t of the earth, may be over|thrown.
And to me it is very probable, in <HI>Revel:</HI> 17. where
<HI>John</HI> &s;aw <HI>Rome</HI> in that year, when &s;he was to go to de&s;tructi|on,
in <HI>v:</HI> 3. He &s;aw the la&s;t Bea&s;t that did bear up <HI>Rome,</HI> and
uphold her in her pomp, the Bea&s;ts is called <HI>v:</HI> 8. the Bea&s;t
that cometh out of the bottomle&s;&s;e pit, to let us know that
<PB N="115" REF="64">
that Bea&s;t which &s;laies the Witne&s;&s;es, bears up <HI>Rome,</HI> when
&s;he is going to damnation: this Bea&s;t, <HI>v:</HI> 3. is called the Bea&s;t
bearing up <HI>Rome,</HI> becau&s;e he &s;lays the Witne&s;&s;es that would
have pulled down <HI>Rome,</HI> he is called therefore a &s;carlet co|loured
Bea&s;t, becau&s;e of his bloody cruelty again&s;t the true
Church, and then he is &s;aid to have &s;even Heads, and ten
Horns; becau&s;e he &s;upports that City <HI>Rome,</HI> with &s;even
Heads and ten Horns; Popery by the Covenanteers had
long <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">ince been in the du&s;t, but that he broke the Covenan|teers
and their Reformation by his bloody trea&s;on, and his
bla&s;phemous troops. So then as this Bea&s;t is &s;aid to bear up
<HI>Rome,</HI> though he be far di&s;tant from <HI>Rome,</HI> by his &s;laying
<HI>Romes</HI> enemies; &s;o <HI>Rome</HI> may be &s;aid to fall, and the Pope
may be &s;aid to fall; and the Devil who is &s;aid to be the father
of Hereticks, and bla&s;phemers may be &s;aid to fall, when he
that hath &s;upported them fals; And in this &s;ence at this bat|tell
when this Bea&s;t is overthrown, the Bea&s;t, and that fal&s;e
Prophet, and the Dragon may be &s;aid to fall: and be &s;ure of
it, when the Witne&s;&s;es have got their victories over this
Bea&s;t down goeth Popery, and bla&s;phemie, and here&s;ie: &s;o
that though in the downfall of this Bea&s;t of the earth it can|not
be &s;aid, that the Pope, and the Devil &s;hall per&s;onally, and
univer&s;ally in their power be overthrown, yet it may truly
be &s;aid that virtually they are overcome, it may well and
truly be &s;aid, that the Pope and the Devil are overcome when
this Bea&s;t is overcome; becau&s;e the Bea&s;t is the &s;upport of Po|pery,
by which <HI>Romes</HI> pomp is &s;upported, and the &s;upport of
Hereticks and bla&s;phemers, by whom the Devils kingdom is
upheld, hath he not cau&s;ed tho&s;e to fall who went about to
overthrow <HI>Rome?</HI> and hath he not granted a toleration to all
Hereticks to lord it over the orthodox Chri&s;tians? Who is &s;o
blinde as doth not &s;ee that he doth &s;upport this day the &s;tate,
pomp, and Religion of <HI>Rome,</HI> and of the Divels kingdom;
there Satans throne is where the Witne&s;&s;es are &s;lain. <HI>Rev.</HI> 2. 13.</P>
<P>In a word, it may truly be &s;aid, when the Bea&s;t of the earth is over|thrown,
that then the Popes cau&s;e and intere&s;t, and the Devills intere&s;t,
will with him be overthrown in the&s;e three kingdoms: for who is it, but
he that hinders the Covenant-reformation, and if he &s;hall by the Cove|nanteers
(as I do undoubtedly believe he will, when his three years and
<PB N="116" REF="65">
a halfs Raign is up) be overcome, be a&s;&s;ured that the ri&s;ing Witne&s;&s;es, pro|&s;ecuting
the ends of the Covenant, will be the ruine of the Popes and the
devils Kingdom in <HI>England.</HI> Indeed the Tenor of the Covenant is nothing
el&s;e, but to e&s;tabli&s;h the Witne&s;&s;es, and throw down Popery and Here&s;ie,
that is, the Pope and the Devils kingdom. Shall I yet go a little further,
I am confident that when this Bea&s;t of the earth is overcome, his cur&s;ed
Helli&s;h con&s;piracies with the Court of <HI>Rome,</HI> and the Court of <HI>Spaine</HI> to o|verthrow
the Kings of <HI>Europe,</HI> that acknowledg not the Popes &s;upremacie,
will be made &s;o apparent, that all the Kings in <HI>Europe</HI> e&s;pecially <HI>France,</HI>
and <HI>Portugall,</HI> and the&s;e thre Kingdoms, <HI>England, Scotland,</HI> and <HI>Ireland,</HI>
will both abominate, and utterly reject the Romi&s;h Court, as a den of a|bominable
Theeves and Murtherers; And I tru&s;t, utterly for&s;ake that ac|cur&s;ed
Religion, which can change it &s;elf into any &s;hape, and pretend any
intere&s;t on purpo&s;e to overthrow kingdoms, and murther Kings.</P>
<P>Now put all the&s;e together, con&s;ider but from the time of the Popes
ri&s;ing, when he got to be the head of <HI>Rome,</HI> to be independent, which (as
on all hands is concluded) was about the yeer 390. and con&s;ider but the
time of the Bea&s;ts of the earth, who ri&s;eth out of Independency, and &s;laies
the Witne&s;&s;es in the yeer 1647. con&s;ider how cleerly the holy Gho&s;t
holds out the Bea&s;t in his ri&s;ing, in his government, in his time of duration
and in the manner, and place of his ruine: compare but Scripture with
Scripture, compare <HI>Dan.</HI> 7. and 11. and <HI>Matth. 24, Mark 13. Luke 21. Rev.</HI>
11. the 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. Chapters, and <HI>Zach.</HI> 14. together with
&s;everall other Texts in <HI>Ezek:</HI> and <HI>I&s;iah:</HI> I &s;ay compare the &s;everall texts,
as we have &s;et them one with another, and compare with the&s;e texts, the
occurrences of the&s;e three yeers la&s;t pa&s;t, in <HI>England, Scotland,</HI> and <HI>Ireland,</HI>
and from all it may be concluded (I would fain &s;ay po&s;itively) probably,
that immediately after 1650. is ended, when the Bea&s;t of the earth, hath
<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">aged a Prophetick day, (that is) one year in <HI>Scotland,</HI> then comes the
ruine of the Church her enemies, for then the Church of <HI>Romes</HI> time of
keeping the Witne&s;&s;es in Sackcloath is expired, and the three years and
an half of the great Independent Bea&s;t, that &s;hall &s;lay the Witne&s;&s;es is
expired, then he and his Poliarchy of Senators, who Raign as Kings, mu&s;t
go to their eternall graves, and then the Witne&s;&s;es mu&s;t ri&s;e, and take
po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of their &s;eats from which they were thrown, and the Covenant|ed-reformation
by them mu&s;t be carried on to the utter de&s;truction of
the Pope, and his faction, and the binding of the devil, and utter ca&s;ting
of him out of the Church with his faction. All which the Lord of his in|finite
mercy through Je&s;us Chri&s;t for his elect &s;ake (both of Jews and
Gentiles unconverted, and alreadie converted) ha&s;ten. <HI>Even &s;o come Lord
Je&s;us. Come quickly.</HI> Amen.</P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
<PB REF="65">
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
