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<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2013-04-22</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Colm MacCrossan</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed.</ITEM>
</CHANGE>
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<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="OX" ID="A76495">
<STC T="W">B2186A</STC>
<STC T="C">R232529</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99898011</BIBNO>
<VID>171010</VID>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>THE <HI>Voice from Heaven. Come out of</HI> BABYLON, <HI>my People;</HI> DEMONSTRATED To mean the coming out of the pre&s;ent Papal ROME, AND IT'S COMMUNION. AND Herewith a Solemn Proof is given that the Papacy can &s;urvive, but Eight Years in the Principality it yet Retains. Enforced by a PREFACE. ADJUSTED To the pre&s;ent Illu&s;trious Appearances of God in the WORLD, And particularly in this NATION. By <HI>T. BEVERLEY.</HI></P>
<P>Printed and Sold, by <HI>John Salu&s;bury</HI> in <HI>Cornhill,</HI> 1688/9.</P>
<PB REF="2" MS="y">
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="preface">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD><HI>A PREFACE TO THE READER, Upon the following DISCOURSE, &s;uited to the pre&s;ent</HI> Juncture <HI>of Affairs in the World, and to the particular</HI> Signs <HI>of the</HI> Times <HI>now Emerging.</HI></HEAD>
<P>THat which bore up the great Princes, and Leaders among the Ser|vants of God in Elder times, to &s;uch a Tran&s;cendency of Action, was immediate <HI>Revelation</HI> from <HI>God; The Word of God came to them,</HI> as Chri&s;t &s;peaks, and ennobled them, as <HI>Gods</HI> upon <HI>Earth.</HI></P>
<P>Immediate <HI>Revelation</HI> in the &s;ame manner bore up &s;o High the <HI>Spi|rits</HI> of the <HI>Prophets,</HI> that they feared none of the Powers upon Earth, how great, and formidable &s;oever, in delivering the <HI>Divine Me&s;&s;ages,</HI> even when they threatned them with that Ruine, which they knew would mo&s;t en|rage them to Hear of.</P>
<P>The very &s;ame immediate <HI>Revelation, &s;tirred</HI> up the <HI>Spirits</HI> of the &V;ni|ver&s;ality of the Servants of God in <HI>Prayer,</HI> and &s;uitable Action, &s;o that they <HI>offered them&s;elves willingly</HI> to the Services of their <HI>Generation,</HI> even in the Loughtie&s;t Atchievements, when they knew them&s;elves Arm'd with the A&s;&s;urances of the Purpo&s;es of God to be fulfilled in tho&s;e Sea&s;ons, wherein they were &s;ummoned to &s;uch Action.</P>
<P>That which next to &s;uch immediate <HI>Revelation</HI> would now <HI>In&s;pire</HI> the Servants of God in each Station, to the highe&s;t Elevation, in Divine Mani|fe&s;tations
<PB REF="3"> to the World, in Prayer, and Action, mu&s;t be a Di&s;covery of the <HI>Signs</HI> of the pre&s;ent Time according to &s;acred <HI>Prophe&s;ie,</HI> and e&s;pecially that great <HI>Prophe&s;ie</HI> of the <HI>New Te&s;tament,</HI> which is peculiarly entitled <HI>The Revelation;</HI> Becau&s;e it is and ought to be in the place of immediate <HI>Reve|lation</HI> to All, who <HI>Read,</HI> and <HI>Hear</HI> it, and all the Servants of Chri&s;t ought to Read and Hear it. For it is the <HI>Revelation,</HI> that God gave to Je&s;us Chri&s;t to <HI>&s;hew to his Servants, things that are &s;hortly to come to pa&s;s.</HI> And that &s;hewing is plainly declar'd to be by their <HI>Reading,</HI> and <HI>Hearing:</HI> For it immediately follows Chri&s;ts <HI>&s;hewing,</HI> and &s;ignification of it by the <HI>Te|&s;timony,</HI> and <HI>Writing</HI> of his Servant <HI>John.</HI> For he is commanded to <HI>write-for</HI> after Ages; And to encourage in &s;uch <HI>Reading,</HI> and <HI>Hearing,</HI> There is a Promi&s;e of <HI>Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s</HI> adjoyn'd to the <HI>Reading</HI> and <HI>Hearing.</HI></P>
<P>I do not at all doubt, there is a my&s;tical <HI>Reading,</HI> and <HI>Hearing</HI> by the Spirit, and Power of Chri&s;t in&s;tructing and actuating his Servants, accord|ing to the Principles, and Services of this very <HI>Prophe&s;ie.</HI> And that, what is now doing, and operating, in the World, and in our Nation, is accord|ing to it, without explicite under&s;tanding, or attending to the Explanation of it.</P>
<P>But yet undoubtedly, a more open, and bold Explanation is due; e&s;peci|ally to this <HI>Age</HI> of the <HI>Churches</HI> of Chri&s;t, and <HI>approach</HI> of his <HI>King|dom.</HI> We ought now to be more skill'd in the <HI>Signs of the Times,</HI> than by a meer kind of <HI>Implicite Faith.</HI> And that mu&s;t be by the Calculation of them according to this <HI>Prophe&s;ie;</HI> for the <HI>Signs</HI> of the <HI>Times</HI> are com|pounded e&s;pecially of the Definition of times by <HI>Prophe&s;y,</HI> and the events de|termin'd to <HI>come to pa&s;s</HI> in tho&s;e Times, and our di&s;cerning the <HI>Signs of the Times,</HI> is to be by a compare of <HI>Prophe&s;ie,</HI> and the product of Times, agreeable to the <HI>Prophe&s;ie,</HI> together; even as the Time of <HI>Me&s;&s;iahs com|ing</HI> was de&s;ign'd by the <HI>&s;ure Word</HI> of <HI>Daniels Prophe&s;y,</HI> and <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t, mighty in Word and Deed, came</HI> at the &s;ame Time. Now our Lord condemns the Ignorance of the <HI>Scribes, and Phari&s;ees,</HI> and <HI>Peo|ple,</HI> who did not <HI>di&s;cern the Signs</HI> of that <HI>Time,</HI> not as &s;imple Ignorance, or Ne&s;cience, but as gro&s;s <HI>Hipocri&s;ie,</HI> that they would not know what they might have known; and proportionably in all times, but e&s;pecially in the&s;e Times, wherein <HI>mighty Works</HI> are to <HI>&s;hew forth them&s;elves,</HI> and be|gin to <HI>&s;hew forth them&s;elves</HI> in the downfal of the <HI>Turki&s;h Tyranny,</HI> with which the Papal is to meet in &s;uch degrees of Ruine, as are determin'd to be parallel in each, and in parallel Times.</P>
<P>I mo&s;t humbly, and earne&s;tly therefore Be&s;eech the <HI>Angels</HI> of the <HI>Reformed Churches,</HI> That they would <HI>&s;earch</HI> this &s;o great <HI>Prophe&s;ie</HI> of the <HI>New Te&s;tament,</HI> as commen&s;urate, as hath been &s;aid to <HI>Immediate Revelation,</HI> and that they would Mini&s;ter out of it to the <HI>Princes</HI> and <HI>Powers</HI> of the <HI>Ten Kingdoms,</HI> that have &s;o long <HI>given their Power,</HI> and <HI>Kingdom</HI> to the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI>
<PB REF="3"> e&s;pecially to tho&s;e, which are already of the <HI>Reformation;</HI> For the <HI>Words of God</HI> are <HI>near to be fulfill'd,</HI> for God had &s;aid, The <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> &s;hall have <HI>Power</HI> to <HI>continue Forty two Months,</HI> and to <HI>receive great Power,</HI> and <HI>Authority</HI> from tho&s;e <HI>Kings,</HI> giving their <HI>Power,</HI> and their <HI>Kingdom</HI> to Him. And the <HI>Word</HI> of God was <HI>fulfill'd,</HI> &s;o that their <HI>Kingdoms</HI> were en|tirely &s;o <HI>given</HI> till the <HI>Reformation,</HI> when the Morning of the la&s;t <HI>half Day,</HI> or half <HI>Time of the forty two Months,</HI> gave Liberty to &s;ome of tho&s;e <HI>Ten Kings</HI> to rever&s;e, and recal the <HI>giving of their Kingdom,</HI> As Chri&s;t aro&s;e early in the <HI>Morning</HI> of his la&s;t <HI>third Day,</HI> and appeared to &s;ome of the <HI>Apo|&s;tles,</HI> and <HI>Di&s;ciples;</HI> But it was Evening, e're he met them in a Body; and tho&s;e, who &s;aw him &s;ince, were In&s;trumental to prepare tho&s;e, who did not &s;ee him till the <HI>Evening:</HI> &s;o tho&s;e <HI>Princes</HI> already of the <HI>Reformation</HI> &s;hall be In&s;trumental to oblige the re&s;t, who have not yet renunciated to the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> and the <HI>fal&s;e Church,</HI> to do the &s;ame, now near the End of the la&s;t of the forty two Months.</P>
<P>Let them therefore have tho&s;e grand excitements, and encouragements of <HI>Prophe&s;ie;</HI> undoubtedly <HI>Cyrus</HI> though a <HI>Gentile</HI> Prince was highly anima|ted by the Prophe&s;ies of <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> and <HI>Jeremiah</HI> for the De&s;truction of <HI>Lite|ral Babylon,</HI> which Prophe&s;ies we may be a&s;&s;ured were expounded to Him by <HI>Daniel,</HI> &s;o great a <HI>Prophet</HI> in his own Times; how much more will <HI>Chri|&s;tian,</HI> and <HI>Prote&s;tant</HI> Princes, exalted in their Spirits, &s;ummon their Prow|e&s;&s;e, and pui&s;&s;ance for the &s;ervice of the <HI>Kingdom</HI> of <HI>Je&s;us</HI> Chri&s;t to be within the&s;e Eight next Years <HI>proclaim'd</HI> by <HI>loud Voices</HI> from <HI>Heaven:</HI> For when the <HI>Words of God</HI> are to be <HI>fulfill'd,</HI> that the <HI>Ten Kings</HI> and their <HI>Nations,</HI> do <HI>give</HI> their <HI>Power</HI> no longer to <HI>the Bea&s;t;</HI> Then the <HI>Kingdom of Chri&s;t</HI> is <HI>proclaim'd,</HI> although his <HI>Inauguration,</HI> as we &s;peak, &s;hall not be till &s;eventy five Years after.</P>
<P>If any &s;hould &s;ay, the <HI>Prophe&s;ie</HI> is <HI>dark</HI> and not to be <HI>under&s;tood,</HI> and Men very di&s;enclin'd to believe the Explications given of it; let them con&s;i|der, it is very dangerous to &s;ay of any <HI>Book of Scripture,</HI> with the <HI>un|learned,</HI> we <HI>cannot read</HI> it, becau&s;e we are not <HI>learned,</HI> and with the <HI>learned,</HI> we cannot <HI>read</HI> it <HI>becau&s;e it is &s;ealed.</HI> If there were by the <HI>pouring</HI> out of the <HI>Spirit</HI> upon the <HI>Reformed</HI> an united endeavour to <HI>&s;earch</HI> by the <HI>Books</HI> of <HI>Scripture,</HI> and other <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Records</HI> with <HI>Prayer, what,</HI> and <HI>what manner of Time,</HI> the <HI>Holy Spirit</HI> in it did <HI>&s;ignifie,</HI> as they have &s;earch'd for the Sen&s;e of <HI>Antiquity</HI> in &s;ome things of far le&s;s moment, or concern to the <HI>Kingdom of Chri&s;t,</HI> what doubt can there be but that the <HI>two leaved Gates of Truth</HI> in it had <HI>open'd</HI> to them; and by their concerted Light, and Authority, Princes would be awaken'd, and per&s;wa|ded, &s;o that the <HI>great City,</HI> and its <HI>Decimal power</HI> would &s;oon <HI>feel</HI> the <HI>Earthquake,</HI> and <HI>fall.</HI></P>
<P>I am not at all in doubt, but that to me, <HI>le&s;s than the lea&s;t of all Saints,</HI> and the <HI>chiefe&s;t of Sinners</HI> as upon the <HI>Banks</HI> of <HI>Chebar, Ulai,</HI> and <HI>Hid|dekel,</HI>
<PB REF="4"> and as in the <HI>I&s;le of Patmos,</HI> that <HI>Grace</HI> hath been vouch&s;af'd upon my mo&s;t Attentive Thought and Contemplation of this and other <HI>Prophe&s;ies of Scripture;</HI> and upon the whole Scheme of <HI>Scripture Time,</HI> that I have certainly found, That at the year <HI>&s;ixteen hundred ninety &s;even,</HI> The&s;e great Things &s;hall come to their Complement, that are to be at even Dates with the <HI>Proclamation of the Kingdom of Chri&s;t,</HI> That the <HI>Pollution of the Sanctuary</HI> &s;hall be &s;o far <HI>fini&s;h'd,</HI> that the <HI>mea&s;ur'd Temple,</HI> and it's <HI>wor&s;hippers</HI> &s;ealed up [within eight,] the la&s;t <HI>twelve hundred &s;ixty years</HI> &s;hall be <HI>opened,</HI> and a far more excellent <HI>Church-&s;tate Appear.</HI> The Mini&s;trations of Truth, and Divine Wor&s;hip much purer, as the <HI>Ark of Te&s;tament &s;een;</HI> and the <HI>Witne&s;&s;es</HI> Shall have come out of their <HI>Sackcloth,</HI> wherewith the &s;o long <HI>Apo&s;tacy,</HI> together with the <HI>Turki&s;h Woe,</HI> a Judge|ment upon that Apo&s;tacy, hath cover'd them.</P>
<P>I have publi&s;h'd &s;everal Di&s;cour&s;es to this purpo&s;e, <HI>viz.</HI> A Scripture line of Time and <HI>Solomons</HI> Song adju&s;ted to it, and have found none, who hath thought fit to remon&s;trate to them, or re&s;i&s;t the Evidence with which I have written; not becau&s;e I have written, but becau&s;e of what I have written, I may &s;ay, <HI>It is written.</HI> It <HI>is written</HI> in the <HI>Scripture of Truth.</HI></P>
<P>Particularly the annexed Di&s;cour&s;e, I publi&s;h'd a year ago, and I cannot but look upon the pre&s;ent appearance of things in the World a Ju&s;tification of it: I have ob&s;erv'd hitherto a very wonderful progre&s;s of <HI>Divine Govern|ment</HI> in the World, according to the Calculation of <HI>Prophe&s;ie</HI> I have made. I ob&s;erve a great Preparation for the Ce&s;&s;ation of the <HI>Turki&s;h Woe,</HI> upon the <HI>Imperial Con&s;tantinople</HI> and the <HI>Greek Cities,</HI> that tho&s;e <HI>Candle|&s;ticks</HI> may be Re-placed: I ob&s;erve yet, This &s;eems to wait for the <HI>Fall of the Tenth</HI> of the <HI>great City,</HI> which motion it is to attend: I have been always of the Judgment, the <HI>Reformed Churches,</HI> that lye in the Bowels of Nati|ons, who&s;e <HI>Princes,</HI> and <HI>Staple Laws</HI> had not e&s;tabli&s;hed the <HI>Reformation,</HI> were in Danger of fre&s;h <HI>Martyrdoms</HI> by the cruel Policies of the <HI>Je&s;uites Or|der,</HI> who&s;e <HI>Arcana Imperii,</HI> or <HI>Politics,</HI> may well be &s;tyl'd the <HI>depths of Sathan.</HI> I have under&s;tood tho&s;e Churches &s;ymbol'd by the Church of <HI>Thya|tira,</HI> in regard of whom the <HI>Feet of Chri&s;t burn as in a Furnace</HI> to this day.</P>
<P>The <HI>Nations,</HI> who&s;e <HI>Princes</HI> and <HI>Laws</HI> have e&s;tabli&s;h'd the <HI>Reformati|on,</HI> I have had firm A&s;&s;urance, could not be re-en&s;lav'd, under the enchant|ment of Re&s;toring that <HI>Power to the Bea&s;t,</HI> which they had repeal'd from him, nor &s;hould the <HI>Churches</HI> in them, except by a &s;hort <HI>Hurricane,</HI> be in any danger of force. I have had the &s;ame Confidence with particular Relation to this Nation, and the <HI>Churches</HI> in it, and that the <HI>Soveraign Power</HI> of it &s;hall be of the principal, that &s;hall perfect that <HI>Revolution</HI> of the <HI>Reforma|tion</HI> into it's Complement, and on that account have pray'd for the good un|der&s;tanding of our <HI>Supreams</HI> to that very end.</P>
<P>I have compar'd &s;uch <HI>Reformed Churches,</HI> and particularly this, to
<PB REF="4"> that of <HI>Sardis,</HI> e&s;teeming our greate&s;t danger to be a Security, a <HI>&s;lumber</HI> in a State though &s;plendid as to this World, yet &s;hort of the Glory intended by Chri&s;t in the Advances of his <HI>Kingdom;</HI> and that thereupon, he would <HI>come upon us,</HI> and <HI>we &s;hould not know</HI> at <HI>what hour he him&s;elf would come upon us.</HI> I find no Rea&s;on to change, or &s;o much as to &s;u&s;pect, but to be more and more confirm'd in the&s;e Sentiments.</P>
<P>I make no more doubt, the <HI>pre&s;ent Conjuncture,</HI> is a dawn of that great Revolution, awaiting the Year <HI>ninety &s;even,</HI> next en&s;uing, than I doubt, whether the dawn of the day be in advance to the perfect Light; becau&s;e I am not upon any &s;ingle Conjecture, but upon the whole Con&s;piration of <HI>Apo|calyptical Times,</HI> compar'd with the Regi&s;tries of <HI>Hi&s;tory</HI> in the cour&s;e of Time &s;ince our <HI>Lords Re&s;urrection,</HI> as famous, and as well known, as the <HI>Reformation</HI> from <HI>Luthers</HI> Time is known. I am not on any &s;ingle <HI>Line of Time,</HI> but upon the Concatenation of Times throughout <HI>Scripture,</HI> not as it is perplex'd with the Irreconcileable <HI>Chronological</HI> Controver&s;ies, but a&s;&s;ur'd by Ma&s;&s;y, Sterlyn <HI>Scripture,</HI> both by compare of the <HI>Texts</HI> them|&s;elves, and <HI>Scripture Rea&s;on,</HI> argued from them.</P>
<P>I have only three parts of that Line <HI>to</HI> publi&s;h, <HI>viz.</HI> from <HI>Abraham</HI> to the <HI>go|ing out of</HI> Egypt, from the <HI>going out of</HI> Egypt to <HI>Solomons beginning</HI> the <HI>Temple,</HI> and from the <HI>Temple begun</HI> to <HI>Cyrus</HI> his <HI>Decree</HI> for re&s;to|ring it, after the <HI>Babyloni&s;h</HI> Deva&s;tation. I have al&s;o prepar'd &s;o great a Probation, that the <HI>day of Judgment,</HI> and the <HI>Re&s;urrection</HI> &s;o generally acknowledg'd in <HI>Chri&s;tian Doctrine,</HI> are at the full dimen&s;ions of Expo&s;ition the very <HI>Milennial,</HI> or <HI>thou&s;and years, Kingdom of Chri&s;t,</HI> that I think upon the comparing of <HI>Scriptures,</HI> I have vouch'd and argued, it cannot be denyed; and as a Complement of all, I have adju&s;ted to tho&s;e Illu&s;trious Scrip|tures the <HI>Prayer,</HI> we &s;o generally acknowledge by the Name of the <HI>Lords prayer</HI> in the Explanation of it, and proved it to be the <HI>Prayer</HI> of, and pre|pared for that <HI>Glorious Kingdom of Chri&s;t,</HI> as al&s;o by eminent Scriptures the Lords Supper to be the Sacrament of the Kingdom.</P>
<P>I hope by the <HI>good Hand</HI> of God towards me to be &s;o a&s;&s;isted, as to make Publication of the&s;e with the great, and confiding Expectation; that &s;ince I have had &s;o great cau&s;e to believe, no one &s;ees Rea&s;on to cha&s;ti&s;e the Di&s;cour|&s;es I have publi&s;h'd, and that the <HI>Divine Admini&s;trations</HI> of the&s;e latter Times, are going on to ju&s;tifie them, they will be &s;erviceable as <HI>Goads</HI> to the enquiries of greater <HI>Ma&s;ters of A&s;&s;emblies,</HI> and their every way more accep|table Re&s;earches into the&s;e things, to the greater ha&s;tning of the <HI>Glory,</HI> and <HI>coming</HI> of our <HI>Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> and the fall of <HI>his Enemies</HI> to be his <HI>Foot&s;tool,</HI> by the earnest <HI>Prayers</HI> of his <HI>Churches,</HI> and <HI>Saints,</HI> and that in the mean time, they will be as <HI>Nails</HI> fa&s;tning tho&s;e Tents, and Pavilions of <HI>Princes,</HI> who are to &s;erve the <HI>King of Kings,</HI> and <HI>Lord of Lords</HI> in their Station. For I am &s;ure, they are <HI>given</HI> from <HI>one,</HI> even the <HI>chief Shepherd,</HI> and <HI>Bi&s;hop of his Church, Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<PB REF="5">
<P>I am not enclin'd, nor have ever had a Temptation to repre&s;ent the Pro|phe&s;ies of Scripture as a <HI>Doctrine</HI> of <HI>Blood.</HI> I am &s;en&s;ible, what <HI>Spirit</HI> Chri&s;tianity is of to its greate&s;t Enemies. <HI>Chri&s;t came not to de&s;troy mens lives,</HI> but to <HI>&s;ave them;</HI> I expect a <HI>Battel</HI> of Chri&s;t, that &s;hall not be as of the <HI>Warriors</HI> with <HI>confu&s;ed noi&s;e,</HI> and <HI>Garments rolled in Blood,</HI> but with <HI>fewel of Fire,</HI> pure and clean Holine&s;s, a pure <HI>Ether of</HI> Ju&s;tice, and Righteou&s;ne&s;s; for in <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s</HI> he <HI>Judges</HI> and makes War, and that in the mean time, there &s;hall be no more u&s;e of <HI>In&s;truments,</HI> to de&s;troy, than the mo&s;t Righteous, and ju&s;t Con&s;titutions and Govern|ments of <HI>Nations</HI> allow: For the <HI>Angels of the Vials</HI> upon the Anti-Chri&s;tian State are <HI>cloathed with Linnen pure,</HI> and <HI>white,</HI> and their <HI>Brea&s;ts girded</HI> with <HI>golden Girdles,</HI> their <HI>Vials full</HI> with no other <HI>wrath</HI> than <HI>of God Almighty,</HI> Rev. 15.</P>
<P>Yet not offering to be particularly definitive; I Avow in the general, Yet Eight years, and the <HI>Kingdoms</HI> of this <HI>World</HI> &s;hall become the <HI>Kingdoms</HI> of the <HI>Lord and of his Chri&s;t,</HI> and <HI>Papacy</HI> und <HI>Mahometani&s;m</HI> &s;hall &s;ink down before Him, his Monarchy &s;hall then begin its Succe&s;&s;ion, although his <HI>glorious Inve&s;titure</HI> &s;hall not be till <HI>&s;eventy five years</HI> after; In which time, The everla&s;ting Go&s;pel &s;hall be preached by a new <HI>Mi&s;&s;ion</HI> equal in &s;peed, and effect to that of the <HI>Apo&s;tles,</HI> and more univer&s;al; &s;ymboll'd therefore by <HI>an Angel flying</HI> through <HI>the mid&s;t of Heaven,</HI> bringing in the <HI>fulne&s;s of the</HI> Gentiles, and effectual to the <HI>Conver&s;ion of the</HI> Jews; upon which <HI>Sa|viours</HI> &s;hall come upon <HI>Mount Sion,</HI> and de&s;troy the whole race of <HI>Pagan, Mahometan, Anti-Chri&s;tian Edomites,</HI> and the <HI>Kingdom &s;hall be the Lords.</HI></P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="notice">
<HEAD>ADVERTISEMENT.</HEAD>
<P>IF any plea&s;e to a&s;&s;i&s;t in the Publication of the whole De&s;ignation, they &s;hall receive Proportionably.</P>
<P>It con&s;i&s;ts of the Scripture Line of the Kingdom drawn from the fir&s;t Sab|bath to the thou&s;and Years Sabbati&s;m.</P>
<P>The Song of the Kingdom, or <HI>Solomons</HI> Prophetick Song adju&s;ted to it.</P>
<P>The Doctrine of the Kingdom, or Demon&s;trative proof by Scripture, the King|dom of the thou&s;and Years is the Re&s;urrection, or Day of Judgment.</P>
<P>The Prayer of the Kingdom, or the Lords Prayer, prov'd principally to look at that Kingdom:</P>
<P>The Sacrament of the Kingdom, or the Supream aim of the Lords Supper, argued to be at that Kingdom.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>T. Beverley.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<PB REF="5">
<HEAD>To the Reader.</HEAD>
<P>THe People of this Nation, profe&s;&s;ing the <HI>Prote&s;tant Religion,</HI> are in danger to be &s;urrounded with all Methods of In&s;inuation and Seduction to entertain the <HI>Popi&s;h Leaven;</HI> which how little &s;oever it appears in <HI>Bulk,</HI> and how &s;mall a Proportion &s;oever in number of <HI>Per&s;ons</HI> com|pared with <HI>Prote&s;tants</HI> it is rated at, it yet undoubtedly hopes to <HI>Leaven the whole Lump</HI> of the <HI>Nation,</HI> claim|ing to it &s;elf the <HI>Privilege</HI> of the truly <HI>Catholic Chri&s;tia|nity,</HI> to which it can no more than pretend.</P>
<P>The <HI>Romani&s;ts</HI> do not only &s;eem to them&s;elves to be, but likewi&s;e glory as being on the <HI>higher ground,</HI> tho' infinitely (as it may be in general Expre&s;&s;ion &s;aid) inferiour to the <HI>Prote|&s;tants</HI> in Arguments of <HI>Scripture, Rea&s;on,</HI> and <HI>Antiquity,</HI> Yet while they offer <HI>Argument</HI> for <HI>Argument, Objection</HI> for <HI>Objection, An&s;wer</HI> for <HI>An&s;wer;</HI> All Men, and at all times, are not &s;o wi&s;e to &s;ee, know, and be firmly per&s;waded for <HI>Truth</HI> again&s;t <HI>Errors,</HI> e&s;pecially when Deceptions are flank'd with <HI>hopes</HI> of advantage on one &s;ide, and <HI>fears</HI> of di&s;|advantage on the other; which the <HI>Supreme Prince</HI> hath in His hand to di&s;tribute on each &s;ide.</P>
<P>At the be&s;t the <HI>Controver&s;ie</HI> &s;eems to depend, and to be like to depend while the World &s;tands, as thus menag'd; but if
<PB REF="6"> indeed the <HI>Word of God</HI> having plainly fore&s;een the &s;tate of things, and the <HI>Roman</HI> Ob&s;tinacy and Impenitence to the la&s;t, hath given the Pourtracture of <HI>Romani&s;m</HI> in its full Pro|portion, &s;o that it may be known and under&s;tood of all who will apply their Minds to the Con&s;ideration. This cuts off all fur|ther <HI>Di&s;pute,</HI> and all its &s;pecious <HI>Pretences,</HI> and &s;eeming <HI>Ar|guments,</HI> and the Vails thrown over its <HI>Super&s;tition, Idola|try</HI> and <HI>Blood,</HI> are thin Lawns under which may be &s;een plainly the <HI>City</HI> and the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> de&s;cribed in the <HI>Revelation.</HI> Now no <HI>Arguments</HI> again&s;t it can be like this, nor &s;ooner make an end of the <HI>Controver&s;ie,</HI> nor more &s;ecure <HI>Per&s;ons</HI> from being tempted to revert to that Vomit the <HI>Nation</HI> hath ca&s;t out, nor more effectually per&s;wade out of that <HI>Congregation</HI> and <HI>A&s;|&s;embly,</HI> tho&s;e who are now in the mid&s;t of it; altho' it &s;eems to Fare much with the <HI>Generality</HI> of them, as with tho&s;e of whom <HI>Solomon</HI> &s;peaks, who <HI>falling into a deep Ditch,</HI> as <HI>abhorred of God,</HI> They &s;eldom return again and take hold of the <HI>ways of Life;</HI> for <HI>&s;uch Gue&s;ts are in the Depths of Hell.</HI></P>
<P>And becau&s;e it concerns them who are the <HI>Votaries</HI> of that <HI>Religion,</HI> to wipe off this great Blot that <HI>Prophecy</HI> (I make no doubt to &s;ay I have demon&s;trated) hath laid upon them: And becau&s;e too many <HI>Prote&s;tants</HI> are not willing to think &s;o &s;evere|ly of them, as this <HI>Prophecy</HI> Imports, nor to judge the way of <HI>Prophecy</HI> proper to deal with them, and becau&s;e particularly One of a publick Eccle&s;ia&s;tic Character &s;eems to take upon bim&s;elf as an Umpire between <HI>Prote&s;tancy</HI> and <HI>Popery,</HI> and like the Days-man in <HI>Job,</HI> lays his hand on both: I there|fore de&s;ire any of tho&s;e <HI>per&s;ons,</HI> laying a&s;ide Pa&s;&s;ion, in which
<PB REF="6"> &s;oever of the&s;e <HI>Cla&s;&s;es,</HI> to make void what I call <HI>Demon&s;tra|tion,</HI> and to render my <HI>Speech</HI> nothing worth.</P>
<P>For I would only &s;urprize in the fir&s;t place this one <HI>Objecti|on,</HI> viz. That the <HI>Greek Churches,</HI> and the whole Train of <HI>Churches,</HI> that follow them, are either omitted by <HI>Prophecy,</HI> or mu&s;t be condemned, as under the <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> with the <HI>Ro|mani&s;ts;</HI> although they have denyed, and do deny the <HI>Roman Supremacy, Infallibility,</HI> and come not up at lea&s;t to their <HI>Tran&s;ub&s;tantiation,</HI> and its <HI>Idolatry</HI></P>
<P>But it is mo&s;t Evident <HI>Prophecy</HI> hath not omitted them, nor does yet charge them &s;o deep in the <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie,</HI> as the <HI>Ro|man Church,</HI> though it does &s;everely Cen&s;ure them of too &s;ad a Part in it. It does not omit them; For the <HI>Two Wings</HI> of the <HI>Great Eagle</HI> that bear the <HI>Church</HI> into the <HI>Wilder|ne&s;s,</HI> the very Expre&s;&s;ion of the <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie,</HI> though Including the my&s;terious Providence of <HI>God</HI> in things al&s;o, do &s;o plainly Import the <HI>Ea&s;tern</HI> and <HI>We&s;tern Empire;</HI> that they define <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>For all the&s;e things &s;ee the</HI> Line of Time.</NOTE> the Time of the <HI>Apo&s;tacy,</HI> beginning within the &s;pace after <HI>Theodo&s;ius the Great,</HI> and <HI>Augu&s;tulus;</HI> For at no other time had that <HI>Empire</HI> its <HI>Two Wings</HI> &s;o distinct, as from his <HI>Death,</HI> to the Ce&s;&s;ation of the <HI>We&s;tern Empire.</HI> It al&s;o Repre&s;ents the <HI>Ea&s;tern</HI> and <HI>We&s;tern Apo&s;tatizing Hie|rarchies</HI> by the <HI>Two Horns</HI> of the <HI>Other Bea&s;t,</HI> that <HI>&s;pake like a Dragon,</HI> though <HI>Horn'd</HI> as <HI>a Lamb,</HI> that joyn'd in <HI>making the Image</HI> to the <HI>Grand Roman Bea&s;t,</HI> and to <HI>Cau&s;e</HI> it to <HI>Speak,</HI> and to <HI>Cau&s;e,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Revel.</HI> 13. All which was notably fulfilled in the <HI>Grecian</HI> Affectation of <HI>Univer|&s;ality,</HI> by <HI>John the Patriarch of Con&s;tantinople,</HI> laying the Foundation of that <HI>Tyrannous Title,</HI> which <HI>Phocas</HI> the <HI>Grecian Emperour</HI> &s;oon after decreed to <HI>Rome</HI> and its <HI>Bi|&s;hop,</HI>
<PB REF="7"> and the <HI>Grecian Coun&s;el</HI> of <HI>Nice;</HI> together with the <HI>Bi&s;hops</HI> of the <HI>We&s;t</HI> e&s;tabli&s;hing <HI>Image Wor&s;hip,</HI> is much more Notorious, <HI>An.</HI> 787. On All which the Judgment of God in the Two <HI>Mahometan Woes</HI> of the <HI>Saracens</HI> and of the <HI>Turks</HI> fell &s;o heavy on them, That under the <HI>Ignorance, Barbarity, Super&s;tition, Poverty,</HI> and the total <HI>De&s;tru|ction</HI> of the <HI>Grecian Empire</HI> by the <HI>Mahometans,</HI> Tho&s;e <HI>Churches</HI> and All Dependent on them lye at this Day, though not &s;o deep in the <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> as the <HI>Romani&s;ts,</HI> expecting the <HI>Re&s;urrection of the Witne&s;&s;es,</HI> (So many as are truly the <HI>Church</HI> of <HI>Chri&s;t)</HI> and then the <HI>pa&s;&s;ing</HI> away of that <HI>Turki&s;h Woe;</HI> For the la&s;t of tho&s;e <HI>Woes</HI> &s;till keeps them down, And only tho&s;e who &s;hall after that continue Impenitent, will be in danger of <HI>Rome's la&s;t Judgment;</HI> All which are &s;ufficient Notices of <HI>Prophecy</HI> concerning them, and of their <HI>Elevation</HI> in the <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> not of <HI>Rome</HI>'s Degrees.</P>
<P>This <HI>Objection</HI> then Fore-clos'd, let Him that can make void, what I have &s;aid concerning <HI>Rome.</HI></P>
<P>For that this <HI>Prophecy</HI> of the <HI>Revelation</HI> is a Book of Sen&s;e, no one that looks into it, and hath Sen&s;e him&s;elf, can deny, any more than that <HI>Euclid</HI>'s Propo&s;itions are &s;o, though not under|&s;tood by the mo&s;t; And I doubt not, the generality of Hands, into which this Di&s;cour&s;e may fall, believe it to be Divine. But many be|lieve al&s;o, That the Divine Author did not de&s;ign to be under&s;tood, at least till &s;ome other state of Times. I do acknowledge, it hath in his wi&s;e Di&s;po&s;al lay much hid from Ages and Generations: but that he hath given Leave, Encouragement, and A&s;&s;i&s;tance to the under|&s;tanding it, I will u&s;e in this place no other Argument, than the Di&s;|cyphar and Explication he hath given of the <HI>Community</HI> we are now to treat of, and the Recommendation of it to the <HI>Minds</HI> that have <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> to ob&s;erve: For having first given it under the <HI>Em|blem</HI> of a <HI>Woman &s;itting on a Bea&s;t of &s;even Heads</HI> and <HI>ten Horns,</HI>
<PB REF="7"> he unriddles the <HI>Heads</HI> to be <HI>&s;even Mountains</HI> and <HI>&s;even Kings,</HI> and the <HI>ten Horns</HI> to be <HI>ten Kings,</HI> and the <HI>Woman</HI> to be that <HI>City</HI> that at that time <HI>Reign'd over the Kings of the Earth;</HI> which is as plain an Interpretation he meant <HI>Rome,</HI> as if any one in the&s;e days &s;hould fir&s;t draw <HI>London</HI> in an <HI>Emblem</HI> or <HI>Device,</HI> and then &s;ay, It is the City that is at this time the <HI>Capital City</HI> of the Nation; I doubt not, any one that under&s;tands common Sen&s;e would think it plain enough, <HI>London</HI> was the City, and if the <HI>Emblem</HI> were Trea&s;onable, the <HI>Innuendo</HI> would be thought &s;ufficient to take away his Life.</P>
<P>And That It is the pre&s;ent <HI>Papal Rome,</HI> the Procedure of the Ar|gument is even as ea&s;ie; For if the <HI>Emblem</HI> of <HI>London</HI> were given with the Succe&s;&s;ion of Kings from the <HI>Conque&s;t,</HI> under which it hath been the <HI>Capital City</HI> till it came down to <HI>our pre&s;ent Sove|raign</HI> (whom God long pre&s;erve, and <HI>let our King live for ever)</HI> it would be a &s;ure Character, the pre&s;ent <HI>London</HI> was intended; even &s;o &s;ure may the pre&s;ent <HI>Papal Rome</HI> be known to be intended by this <HI>Prophecy.</HI></P>
<P>The&s;e two things I look upon as indubitably certain, the Di&s;cour&s;e of which runs to <HI>Pag.</HI> 17. And as to the Calculation of Time I fix upon, I think it as clear, certain, and ea&s;ie, as by the Ballance of the Time of the Moon with the Time of the Sun, It would be to a skilful <HI>A&s;tronomer</HI> to tell us how many <HI>Lunar</HI> Years, or Years of the <HI>Moon</HI> have pa&s;s'd from the <HI>Conque&s;t,</HI> when we are agreed how many Years of the <HI>Sun</HI> it is; as is endeavoured to be made out to <HI>Pag.</HI> 32.</P>
<P>However, the Two first, That <HI>Rome,</HI> and the pre&s;ent <HI>Papal Rome,</HI> are de&s;ign'd by the <HI>Prophecy,</HI> are as certain, as plainest Words of the <HI>Prophecy,</HI> expounded by it &s;elf, can make them. On which, I <HI>throw down the Glove</HI> to all Gain&s;ayers.</P>
<P>And if &s;o, they are &s;ufficient to Found well the en&s;uing Inferen|tial Corollaries to the End; and to build an earnest Per&s;ua&s;ive to come out of that * <HI>Communion,</HI> as the very Force of the <HI>Propheti|cal</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">.</NOTE> Word implies, as well as the Vogue of Language; and if we are <HI>Come out,</HI> by no means to <HI>look back,</HI> nor &s;o much as to make any Terms with it: For it can give us no <HI>Equivalent</HI> to incline us to yield it but a <HI>Toleration</HI> to its re-&s;eating it &s;elf into a po&s;&s;ibility
<PB REF="8"> to make publick Offers of its <HI>Golden Cup</HI> to the Nation. No <HI>In|dulgence</HI> can be a valuable Price for this; For, The Glory of Chri&s;t and of his Kingdom, which that Eclip&s;es, is of more value than our Liberty; and yet God forbid but that all due regards of the mo&s;t <HI>Chri&s;tian, Evangelick Spirit,</HI> &s;hould be born to all the Per|&s;ons, from the highest to the lowest, who are of it, much more to all <HI>Prote&s;tant Di&s;&s;enters:</HI> But to <HI>&s;uffer,</HI> &s;o far as it is in our Power legally, and in our Places, to hinder this <HI>Prophete&s;s</HI> from Seducing, whoever reads the&s;e Seventeenth and Eighteenth <HI>Chap|ters</HI> of the <HI>Revelation,</HI> and what is to follow to the End of the <HI>Prophecy,</HI> which cannot come before the <HI>Fall</HI> of this <HI>Baby|lon,</HI> and finds, (as I am not afraid to &s;ay) I have proved, <HI>It</HI> is the pre&s;ent <HI>Papal Rome</HI> that the <HI>Prophecy</HI> intends, will &s;ee Argument &s;ufficient against it, if he be a <HI>Chri&s;tian,</HI> and a <HI>Prote|&s;tant;</HI> and the more zealous he is of <HI>Chri&s;tian Prote&s;tancy,</HI> &s;till the more Rea&s;on. And as for all <HI>Ambidexters, Two-handed Achito|phelians,</HI> or <HI>Juda&s;&s;es,</HI> who think to find it in their Account to be on both &s;ides; as they are now the private Scorn and De&s;pi&s;al of the Age, &s;o in future Records, and not long hence, they will &s;tand <HI>Pillars of Salt.</HI></P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="errata">
<P><HI>Pag.</HI> 27. <HI>Line</HI> 24. <HI>read, after</HI> Wound, <HI>During the Chri&s;tian Em|perour. lin.</HI> 27. <HI>blot During the Chri&s;tian Emperour.</HI></P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="tract">
<PB N="1" REF="8">
<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL>REVEL. 18. 4.</BIBL>
<Q>And I heard another Voice from Heaven, &s;aying, Come out of her, my People, that ye be not partaker of her Sins, and re|ceive not of her Plagues.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>THIS Voice is <HI>Another;</HI> For it &s;ucceeds the <HI>might Cry</HI> of the <HI>&s;trong Voice</HI> of an <HI>Illu&s;trious Angel,</HI> which had gone ju&s;t before, and proclaim'd, <HI>Babylon the Great is Fallen, is Fallen.</HI> Now although the&s;e Two <HI>Voices</HI> are prepar'd for a particular Time, and that is &s;till to come; yet they &s;ound backward from that Time, where|in they are to have &s;o perfect an Elevation, to the Times be|fore; and &s;o con&s;equently to all Time forward, from that ve|ry Time wherein the&s;e Voices were Heard, and Recorded by the Apo&s;tle <HI>John,</HI> the <HI>Apocalyptical Amanuen&s;is,</HI> or Scribe; that &s;o from that very Time, the Execution of the Things de|clar'd may be expected, and prepar'd for, as in their proper Time to be executed.</P>
<P>But more e&s;pecially &s;ince the Time of the <HI>Reformation,</HI> and &s;o onwards, the nearer we approach the Time for which it is prepar'd, the more the <HI>Voice,</HI> with which we have now to do, is to be attended, as if it &s;ounded louder and louder; And it &s;hall mo&s;t &s;en&s;ibly do &s;o, when the <HI>Fourty two Months</HI> of the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> are expir'd, which we &s;hall find, will be at the farthe&s;t Nine years hence.</P>
<P>Let us then con&s;ider the Importance of this <HI>Voice,</HI> and it is plainly the Separation of the <HI>People of God,</HI> and &s;o of every Per&s;on among us, if we are of his People, from any Commu|nion with that <HI>City</HI> or <HI>Community</HI> concerning which we &s;hall by
<PB N="2" REF="9"> the Light of this <HI>Prophecy</HI> duly weigh'd and con&s;ider'd, be con|vinc'd; that It is the <HI>City</HI> &s;ymboliz'd, or &s;et out by this <HI>My&s;ti|cal Woman;</HI> And our Separation mu&s;t be proportionable to the danger of being tainted, or &s;truck with the Contagion of its <HI>Sins,</HI> or Apprehended and Reach'd by the Thunder-&s;haft of its <HI>Plagues:</HI> For &s;o is the Charge; <HI>Come out of her, my People.</HI> And &s;o is the Enforcement, Le&s;t ye be <HI>partaker of her Sins,</HI> and le&s;t ye <HI>Receive of her Plagues.</HI></P>
<P>Now that we may do this; It is highly Expedient at lea&s;t, to u&s;e the utmo&s;t Enquiry into this <HI>Prophecy,</HI> that we may know by the Characters of it, <HI>What,</HI> and <HI>what manner of City</HI> the <HI>Spirit of God</HI> in it doth <HI>&s;ignifie;</HI> and what or <HI>what manner of Time</HI> al&s;o, It hath denoted, or el&s;e we cannot &s;o well judge what is <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 1. 11.</NOTE> our Duty, or what our Danger:</P>
<P>For though I would allow, with as much Largene&s;s of mind as can be de&s;ir'd, that by the General Rules of Univer&s;al Scri|pture, we may without the particular Under&s;tanding of this <HI>Prophecy</HI> be &s;ecur'd from both the Impurities, and from the Judgments of this <HI>City,</HI> by Adhering to the Truth, and Purity, and Mercy of the Chri&s;tian Religion in Doctrine, Di&s;cipline, Wor&s;hip and Practi&s;e, according to the ju&s;t mea&s;ures of the Word of God; yet we cannot do it with tho&s;e particular Evi|dences of that Divine Rea&s;on, nor with tho&s;e vigorous Emo|tions of Zeal again&s;t &s;uch an unclean Communion as this <HI>Prophecy</HI> rightly apprehended would arm us with; For certain|ly, <HI>The Pen of this Divine Scribe was not made in vain.</HI></P>
<P>I will therefore u&s;e the highe&s;t Diligence of Re&s;earch and clo&s;e Enquiry into the <HI>Prophecy,</HI> concerning the <HI>City,</HI> and the <HI>Times</HI> appointed to it; and then concerning the <HI>Comming out of it,</HI> and enforce the Charge here given to <HI>come out of it;</HI> and all this as peculiarly deriv'd from this Holy <HI>Oracle,</HI> in compari&s;on of which, all the Streams deriv'd from Antiqui|ty are Low and Flat in &s;hewing the Great <HI>Abominations</HI> of that <HI>City.</HI></P>
<P>But <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed is he that Readeth,</HI> and <HI>They who Hear the Words of this Prophecy,</HI> for now the <HI>Time</HI> is more <HI>at hand,</HI> as to what we are now to Treat of, than when the <HI>Oracle</HI> was fir&s;t given, although each part of this Prophecy was in its own Time and Order at Hand, according to the Line, wherein each Thing was to come to pa&s;s, and which Line began in the Things that were fir&s;t to come to pa&s;s, and did come to pa&s;s from the <HI>Re|&s;urrection</HI>
<PB N="3" REF="9"> and <HI>A&s;cen&s;ion</HI> of Chri&s;t, which are but one Time in the Account of <HI>Prophecy</HI> (as we &s;ay in Law, The whole of each Term is but one Day;) and from thence the <HI>Revelation</HI> is dated, as from its <HI>Epoch,</HI> or <HI>Beginning-Point.</HI></P>
<P>Fir&s;t therefore concerning the <HI>City,</HI> there are &s;uch Characters as undeniably a&s;&s;ure us This <HI>City</HI> can be no other than the <HI>City Rome</HI> that is here thus de&s;crib'd.</P>
<P>The <HI>City</HI> re&s;embled by a <HI>Woman,</HI> a not only <HI>Imperious,</HI> but <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Charact."> <HI>Imperial whori&s;h Woman,</HI> is plainly Expounded by the <HI>Angel</HI> to be a <HI>City;</HI> And it is u&s;ual in <HI>Prophecy</HI> to Figure <HI>Cities</HI> by that Embleme of a <HI>Woman,</HI> and not only <HI>Cities,</HI> but <HI>Churches,</HI> as <NOTE PLACE="marg">Revel. c. 17. c. 18.</NOTE> <HI>Zion,</HI> by a <HI>Woman grieved in Spirit;</HI> the True Church in this Prophecy is often Typ'd by a <HI>Woman;</HI> the <HI>New Jeru&s;alem</HI> by the <HI>Bride,</HI> the <HI>Lambs Wife.</HI> And <HI>Adulterous Churches</HI> by <HI>Adulte|rous Women;</HI> as <HI>Aholiab</HI> and <HI>Aholibah</HI> are the Pictures of <HI>Samaria</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ezek. 23.</NOTE> and <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> both as <HI>Adulterous Cities</HI> and <HI>Churches.</HI></P>
<P>But this <HI>Woman,</HI> this <HI>Imperial</HI> and <HI>Imperious whori&s;h Woman,</HI> is affirm'd to be <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, with all the Empha|&s;is and Force of Expre&s;&s;ion that can be; <HI>The City, The Great; That hath</HI> (now, &s;aith the <HI>Apo&s;tle John,</HI> that I am in writing it) at this very pre&s;ent Time, the <HI>Kingdom over the Kings of the Earth.</HI></P>
<P>Now a <HI>City</HI> that had then the <HI>Kingdom</HI> over the <HI>Kings of the Earth,</HI> undeniably imported a <HI>Capital City,</HI> the Seat of an <HI>&V;ni|ver&s;al Monarchy</HI> at that Time. For as a <HI>Monarch</HI> hath in the ve|ry nature of a <HI>Monarch,</HI> all &s;ubordinate Magi&s;trates under him, and accountable to Him; &s;o an Univer&s;al Monarchy hath States and Kingdoms under it; that however in their parti|cular Kingdoms. They may be over and above all others, yet &s;till their Power is Limitable and accountable to, and may be Appealed from to the Univer&s;al Monarchy and Power.</P>
<P>When therefore This City is &s;aid to be <HI>The City, The Great,</HI> Having at that Time a <HI>Kingdom over the Kings of the Earth;</HI> It is to &s;ay, the <HI>City</HI> &s;poken of was at the Time when the <HI>Reve|lation</HI> was given the Seat of an <HI>&V;niver&s;al Monarchy,</HI> and that &s;ome Supreme Power had its Imperial Re&s;idence there, took its Title from that <HI>City,</HI> exercis'd its Power under that Title, and as the then pre&s;ent <HI>Head</HI> of that <HI>City</HI> bore up the City by &s;uch Title; &s;o that it is &s;aid to have a <HI>Kingdom over the Kings of the Earth,</HI> becau&s;e &s;uch a Power, &s;o related to it, had a Kingdom
<PB N="4" REF="10"> over all other Kingdoms far and near, or had &s;ueh an Uni|ver&s;al <HI>Monarchy</HI> or <HI>Kingdom.</HI></P>
<P>Now what <HI>City</HI> that was, that had then a <HI>Kingdom</HI> over the <HI>Kings of the Earth,</HI> in the &s;en&s;e now declared, be&s;ides the Noti|ces of Univer&s;al <HI>Hi&s;tory</HI> in that matter, it is mo&s;t evident from Scripture, that it mu&s;t be even that very <HI>City Rome,</HI> for <HI>Au|gu&s;tus,</HI> at that time the <HI>Emperour of Rome,</HI> when our Lord was Born, <HI>made a Decree,</HI> that <HI>All the World,</HI> viz. the World of the <HI>Roman Empire,</HI> which A&s;pir'd, as it were to equal the very <HI>Ha+bitable Earth</HI> in Extent, &s;hould come under a particular <HI>Cen&s;us,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Luc. 2. 1.</NOTE> or be de&s;crib'd, that &s;o an Account of the large Bounds of the <HI>Dominion,</HI> the Numerou&s;ne&s;s, Strength, and Riches of the Sub|jects might be render'd to Him.</P>
<P>We read in the <HI>Hi&s;tory</HI> of the <HI>Acts of the Apo&s;tles,</HI> how great the Honour was for any City to be accounted a Member of that <HI>City,</HI> that its Natives might be the <HI>Free-Born</HI> of that <HI>City;</HI> It made &s;uch a <HI>City</HI> no mean City. The Immunity of being &s;o <HI>Free-born</HI> was &s;o great, that many purchas'd it at an exceeding Rate, who had it not by Birth. We find the Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul,</HI> though he was a <HI>Jew,</HI> and immediately &s;ubject to the <HI>Jewi&s;h Law,</HI> yet, as it were directed by an Impul&s;e of Providence, <HI>Ap|peals to Cae&s;ar's Tribunal,</HI> as the Highe&s;t upon Earth. The&s;e and <NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 22 28</NOTE> many other Expre&s;&s;ions a&s;&s;ure us, what <HI>City</HI> it was that at that Time <HI>Reigned</HI> over the <HI>Kings of the Earth.</HI></P>
<P>And it was very nece&s;&s;ary, the Scripture, that loves mo&s;t in all weighty matters to be &s;erv'd by its own Records, &s;hould take this great Notice of the <HI>Roman Empire;</HI> Becau&s;e as the <HI>Fourth Monarchy,</HI> it was of the <HI>Four</HI> the mo&s;t Remarkable; For in it <NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 7.</NOTE> the <HI>Kingdom of Me&s;&s;iah,</HI> that is to be &s;o Univer&s;al a <HI>Monarchy</HI> in|deed, began to be <HI>&s;et up</HI> in its <HI>Beginning,</HI> and will in the End of the &s;ame <HI>Roman Monarchy</HI> be a <HI>Dominion under the whole Heaven,</HI> given to the <HI>Saints of the mo&s;t High;</HI> the fir&s;t of which is Ac|counted for in the <HI>Hi&s;tory</HI> of the <HI>New Te&s;tament,</HI> and the La&s;t in this Grand <HI>Prophecy</HI> of it, the <HI>Revelation..</HI></P>
<P>But further, to carry on the Certainty of this <HI>City</HI> being the <HI>City Rome,</HI> at the time the Apo&s;tle <HI>John</HI> wrote the <HI>Revelation,</HI> we may ob&s;erve what is &s;o well known, That there was no Change in the State of the <HI>Roman Empire,</HI> except a greater En|largement of it from the Days of Chri&s;t, and the Apo&s;tles, to the Time of the writing the <HI>Revelation</HI> by the Apo&s;tle <HI>John.</HI> So
<PB N="5" REF="10"> that when This <HI>City</HI> is declar'd to be the <HI>City that Reign'd over the Kings of the Earth,</HI> it is mo&s;t evident <HI>Rome</HI> was the <HI>City</HI> in|tended.</P>
<P>It is therefore called the <HI>Great City,</HI> according to the manner <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Charact."> of &s;peaking at that Time; <HI>Roma Sacra, Augu&s;ta, Aeterna, Rome</HI> the <HI>Sacred,</HI> the <HI>Imperial,</HI> the <HI>Everla&s;ting Rome.</HI> How often there|fore doth the <HI>Revelation</HI> &s;tyle it the <HI>Great City,</HI> and <HI>Babylon the Great,</HI> and <HI>The City,</HI> and <HI>The Great?</HI></P>
<P>This Woman is &s;aid to &s;it on <HI>Seven Mountains;</HI> And the Ho|ly <MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="Charact."> Spirit is &s;o Indu&s;trious, if I may &s;o &s;peak with Reverence, to give this Notice of the Famous <HI>Seven-Hill'd Rome,</HI> that it goes out of its way to give it; For whereas the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> only and not the <HI>Woman</HI> is Entitled to the <HI>Seven Heads;</HI> Be&s;ides the Seven Heads of the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> on whom the <HI>Woman &s;itteth,</HI> the <HI>Wo|man</HI> her &s;elf is pourtrayed <HI>Sitting on Seven Mountains,</HI> as <NOTE PLACE="marg">The names of which are mo&s;t univer&s;ally known to be the <HI>Capitoline,</HI> the <HI>Pa|latine,</HI> the <HI>Aventine,</HI> the <HI>Celan,</HI> the <HI>E&s;|quiline,</HI> the <HI>Viminal,</HI> the <HI>Quirinal.</HI></NOTE> <HI>Seven Heads</HI> (be&s;ides the <HI>Bea&s;ts Heads,</HI> I &s;ay,) &s;o that the Divine Wi&s;dom &s;teps as it were a&s;ide to fetch in the&s;e <HI>Seven Mountains</HI> as the <HI>Cities Heads;</HI> as an uncontroula|ble, unmoveable Character and A&s;&s;urance of this <HI>City.</HI> For never was any <HI>City</HI> in the World &s;o famou&s;ly known by its <HI>Seven Htlls</HI> as the <HI>Seven-Headed City Rome.</HI></P>
<P>There being then no po&s;&s;ibility of Avoiding it, the mo&s;t zea|lous Partizans of <HI>Rome</HI> in its pre&s;ent State, dare not deny that the <HI>Woman</HI> here de&s;crib'd, and expounded by the <HI>Angel</HI> into a <HI>City,</HI> is the very <HI>City Rome,</HI> and no other; They do therefore Acknowledge it; There are but Two ways then to re&s;cue <HI>Rome</HI> in its pre&s;ent State from the Dint of this <HI>Prophecy.</HI></P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1: That it was <HI>Heathen Rome</HI> the <HI>Prophecy</HI> intended, and that therefore it hath had its Accompli&s;hment many Ages ago.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Or that it may be &s;ome State of <HI>Rome,</HI> that is not yet, nor hath yet been, but is to be &s;ome &s;hort time before the <HI>End</HI> of the <HI>World.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>If therefore the <HI>Prophecy</HI> will not endure either of the&s;e, that it is pa&s;t, or to come, it is then Demon&s;tration, that it mu&s;t be the Pre&s;ent State of <HI>Rome,</HI> that is under the Thunder-&s;troke of the <HI>Prophecy:</HI> Seeing All, that Time enfolds in its whole Na|ture, is either pa&s;t, pre&s;ent, or to come:</P>
<P>Now that the State of <HI>Rome</HI> here de&s;crib'd is not yet pa&s;t, there are the&s;e two Evident Rea&s;ons.</P>
<P N="1">1. That whenever this <HI>Prophecy</HI> is fulfill'd, there mu&s;t be an utter De&s;truction, Ruine, and De&s;olation of the <HI>City;</HI> for the
<PB N="6" REF="11"> <HI>Woman</HI> expounded to be the <HI>City</HI> Chap. 17. is the &s;ame, who&s;e <HI>De&s;olation</HI> is &s;o amply and finally declar'd chap. 18. &s;o that there can be no po&s;&s;ible &s;uppo&s;al it can be otherwi&s;e: And that the De&s;olation is utter and Final, be&s;ides the whole Cour&s;e of it all along, is mo&s;t apparent by the Emblem of the <HI>Mill-&s;tone thrown</HI> into the <HI>Bottom of the Sea;</HI> as of <HI>Babylon</HI> of old, that is a place of <HI>Wild Bea&s;ts</HI> at this Day: Every thing in the whole <HI>Prophecy</HI> is levied on purpo&s;e to expre&s;s a &s;upreme Aboli&s;hment of this City out of the whole Nature of Things.</P>
<P>Now no &s;uch Aboli&s;hment of the <HI>City Rome</HI> hath yet been, but it hath out-liv'd the Calamities that it &s;uffer'd at any Time &s;ince the <HI>Prophecy,</HI> and hath always &s;o recover'd it &s;elf that it is at this day in Grandeur, &s;o that the Truth of the Prophecy mu&s;t be wholly overthrown, or not yet fulfill'd; and &s;o it mu&s;t be yet to be de&s;troy'd.</P>
<P>I &s;ay nothing of the <HI>Cities</HI> of the <HI>Nations</HI> Falling at the &s;ame Time that <HI>Great Babylon came in Remembrance before God,</HI> becau&s;e I would re&s;t only upon what is mo&s;t indubitably plain.</P>
<P N="2">2. The Glory of the Church, and of the Kingdom of Chri&s;t, the <HI>Bride,</HI> the <HI>Lambs Wife making her &s;elf ready to the Marriage,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">c. 19. 20. 21.</NOTE> and that whole Ble&s;&s;ed change of Things, an&s;wering the great Types of the <HI>Prophecy,</HI> immediately follow the <HI>De&s;olation</HI> of this <HI>City Rome:</HI> So in <HI>Daniel,</HI> after the giving the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> to <HI>the Flames</HI> (as is here foretold al&s;o after the Final De&s;truction of <HI>Babylon) the Kingdom under the whole Heaven is given to the Saints of the mo&s;t High,</HI> and Sathan <HI>chain'd, &s;hut up,</HI> and <HI>&s;eal'd into his own bottomle&s;s pit, that he might deceive the Nations no more.</HI> But that the&s;e <HI>Happy</HI> Things have not yet come to pa&s;s, there needs nothing more to convince All that bear the <HI>Chri&s;tian</HI> Name, than the <HI>Impo&s;ture</HI> and <HI>Tyranny</HI> of <HI>Mahomet,</HI> that hath rag'd within the very Bow|els of the <HI>Chri&s;tian</HI> World &s;o long a &s;pace.</P>
<P>The mo&s;t ob&s;ervant therefore of the <HI>Roman Commentators</HI> on this <HI>Prophecy,</HI> finding how impo&s;&s;ible it is to adju&s;t the <HI>Prophecy</HI> of the&s;e two Chapters to <HI>Rome</HI> changed from <HI>Rome Imperial,</HI> as <HI>Heathen,</HI> to <HI>Rome Imperial,</HI> as <HI>Chri&s;tian,</HI> have thought the &s;econd Interpretation the &s;afer Refuge from the Terror of its Judg|ment here foretold, and much the rather, I doubt not, becau&s;e an Expo&s;ition re&s;ting on a Futurity can be le&s;s Evicted in its Di&s;agreeablene&s;s, than what bears on Things pa&s;t, and what is to be ju&s;t at the End of the World, can be hardlier confuted by &s;hewing the ill-matehing of Con&s;equences, (e&s;pecially when
<PB N="7" REF="11"> the Con&s;equences are &s;o Great, as the <HI>Day of Judgment</HI> only can parallel; (as they have truly enough con&s;ider'd,) then what was to have been &s;o many Ages ago Attended with &s;uch Con&s;e|quences as have not yet come to pa&s;s, which every one can plainly charge.</P>
<P>But yet the due and clo&s;e Search into this <HI>Prophecy</HI> will as much Confute this, as the other, as is now to be made evident: which, that it may be done, I will lay down this Propo&s;ition, and prove it from the whole <HI>Prophetick</HI> Table.</P>
<P><HI>Rome</HI> in the pre&s;ent State is that, which hath been from the <NOTE PLACE="marg">Propo&s;it.</NOTE> Time the <HI>Imperial Name</HI> of the <HI>City Rome</HI> ceas'd, and &s;till conti|nues, that <HI>Symbolical, my&s;tical Woman,</HI> or <HI>City,</HI> upon which this <HI>Prophecy,</HI> and the whole De&s;ignation of it, <HI>perpendicularly,</HI> or as we &s;ay, point-blank Falls, and not a Future <HI>Rome</HI> and <HI>Antichri&s;t</HI> to be expected, <HI>Three years and a half</HI> only before the <HI>Day of Judg|ment,</HI> as &s;ome Papi&s;ts would have it.</P>
<P>To prove this, I u&s;e this General Argument: That which <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="General Argum."> gives us the di&s;tingui&s;hing States and Times of this <HI>City,</HI> accor|ding to this <HI>Prophecy,</HI> and according to the General Rea&s;on of Things, mu&s;t be the di&s;tingui&s;hing of the Times, and States of its <HI>Seven Heads,</HI> and <HI>Eight Kings;</HI> Even as in all States, King|doms, and Cities, their Times are given by the Reigns of the Princes and by the Governments over them; If then by the computing the Times of the&s;e, it &s;hall appear, the pre&s;ent <HI>Rome</HI> is this <HI>Woman</HI> or <HI>City,</HI> the Demon&s;tration will be &s;ecure.</P>
<P>Now Thus is the whole <HI>Prophetick</HI> Frame. This <HI>City &s;its on a Bea&s;t of Seven Heads,</HI> for tho&s;e <HI>Seven Mountain-Heads</HI> are by the By, and only to give the pre&s;umptive Knowledge of this <HI>City,</HI> &s;o fam'd for its <HI>Seven Mountains;</HI> the certain, and more accom|pli&s;h'd a&s;&s;urance, even to <HI>Plerophory,</HI> of which is, its having <HI>at that Time a Kingdom over the Kings of the Earth:</HI> yet this of the <HI>Mountains</HI> joyn'd with it e&s;tabli&s;hes it in the Evidence of Two mo&s;t undoubted Te&s;timonies of it.</P>
<P>Yet &s;till it is to be con&s;ider'd, the Woman &s;its on the Moun|tains, only as a City is de&s;crib'd by its Scituation, and this <HI>City</HI> by its Scituation on <HI>Seven Mountains</HI> which is a very Grand Cha|racter of it: But the <HI>Woman &s;its on the Beast of Seven Heads,</HI> as a Man or Woman are carried aloft on the Bea&s;t that bears them, or on which they Ride; &s;o this <HI>Woman</HI> &s;its, as a <HI>City,</HI> fa&s;t &s;ea|ted on <HI>Seven Mountains,</HI> and as an <HI>Imperial Woman</HI> Riding in State on the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> that <HI>bears,</HI> (as the Prophecy expre&s;ly &s;tyles
<PB N="8" REF="12"> it) or <HI>carries her,</HI> and offering her <HI>Golden cup of Fornications to the Kings of the Earth,</HI> intoxicated with the Grandeur and Riches, as al&s;o with the Sen&s;uality of her <HI>Lu&s;ts</HI> and <HI>Adulteries.</HI></P>
<P>Encircled therefore with the&s;e <HI>Seven</HI> and <HI>Seven of Heads</HI> for A&s;&s;uring the <HI>City,</HI> and for the greater flouri&s;h of the Type, <HI>The Woman &s;its on high;</HI> and the <HI>Two Sevens of Heads</HI> are expoun|ded by the <HI>Angel</HI> to be <HI>Seven Hills</HI> or <HI>Mountains,</HI> unmoveable <HI>Heads.</HI> And <HI>[They]</HI> viz. the <HI>Heads,</HI> (not <HI>[There]</HI> as the Eng|li&s;h Tran&s;lation too Low) are <HI>Seven Kings,</HI> who are the mo|ving, living <HI>Heads</HI> of the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> on which <HI>&s;he &s;its,</HI> and by the Flitting or Remove of the Principality from one <HI>Head</HI> to ano|ther, the Times of the <HI>Woman,</HI> or of the <HI>City,</HI> as we &s;hall &s;ee, are to be dated; for though the <HI>Heads</HI> are always united to the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> as all one Animal, or <HI>Be&s;tial</HI> living Creature, however mon&s;trous it may &s;eem, yet the <HI>King&s;hip</HI> of the <HI>Heads</HI> was in a Succe&s;&s;ion till it came to the <HI>la&s;t King</HI> under which it now is, and hath been &s;o long.</P>
<P>Now among the&s;e <HI>Seven Heads</HI> that were <HI>Kings,</HI> there was a <HI>Seventh King</HI> ca&s;t in, that was of another kind, as being no <HI>Head,</HI> which is of very great con&s;ideration in this <HI>prophetical</HI> Portraicture, as we &s;hall find; and He comming in makes the <HI>Seventh Head</HI> the <HI>Eighth King.</HI></P>
<P>That we may be therefore guided by this whole Type to the certain knowledge of the pre&s;ent State of this City, I will lay down the&s;e four Propo&s;itions, with the proof of each.</P>
<P>The&s;e <HI>Seven Heads</HI> and <HI>Eight Kings</HI> are not together <HI>Kings,</HI> or <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Propo&s;."> in the Exerci&s;e of Sovereignty at one and the &s;ame Time, but are in a Succe&s;&s;ion, or after one another; This is mo&s;t unde|niable, for <HI>Five</HI> had been before the <HI>Prophecy</HI> given to the Apo|&s;tle; and were <HI>Fallen,</HI> viz. from their Principality, or Exer|ci&s;e of Sovereignty, el&s;e they were not <HI>Fallen;</HI> for they are &s;till repre&s;ented on the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> and never part from it, as in the <HI>Prophetick Image,</HI> but pertain to the Integrity of the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> or <HI>Ro|man Imperiali&s;m</HI> from fir&s;t to la&s;t, which always con&s;i&s;ts of all its Parts. They were <HI>Fallen</HI> then in regard of Principality, or Exerci&s;e of Sovereignty, which they had in their proper Time or Sea&s;on. Their union therefore to the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> pre&s;erves them &s;till their place, as <HI>Heads</HI> in the <HI>prophetick</HI> Sculpture, but not as <HI>Kings</HI> &s;till in Being.</P>
<P>Now the&s;e <HI>Five Fallen Heads</HI> are given as in One, or as in a Knot and Clamp together, the <HI>Prophecy</HI> being little concern'd
<PB N="9" REF="12"> in their exact Di&s;tinction, or Succe&s;&s;ion; it being enough to it, that there were before the <HI>Prophecy Five Supreme Roman Govern|ments,</HI> (which, as we &s;hall &s;ee, It calls <HI>Kings,)</HI> Whether they were ju&s;t in an order, or whether traver&s;ing one another, it is all one as to the Prophecies Concern in them. The Caution therefore in the <HI>Prophecy</HI> in this matter is very ob&s;ervable, knowing what objection might be made concerning the Succe&s;|&s;ion of the <HI>Kingly, Con&s;ular, Dictatorian, Tribunitial,</HI> and <HI>Decem|viral</HI> Power, the &s;o well known &s;everal Governments of the <HI>Roman States,</HI> It gives them in a Heap of <HI>Five</HI> together: Sig|nifying, It intended no more than to mark by them the <HI>Bea&s;ts Heads</HI> before the <HI>Prophecy,</HI> as pa&s;t, or <HI>Fallen,</HI> and only Remarks the Succe&s;&s;ion of the <HI>One that then was;</HI> and that It was <HI>not</HI> while the <HI>Five</HI> were, and that they <HI>had been,</HI> and were <HI>Fallen,</HI> before the <HI>Prophecy</HI> was given; which &s;ufficiently de|mon&s;trates the Sucee&s;&s;ion betwixt the <HI>Five,</HI> and the <HI>One</HI> then in Being; which is all the <HI>Prophecy</HI> aims at, and troubles not it &s;elf with the order of the <HI>Five</HI> among them&s;elves, any farther, than that <HI>Five</HI> &s;uch were, and that they drew along the Times of the <HI>City</HI> to the Succe&s;&s;ion of the <HI>One</HI> then in Being.</P>
<P>The <HI>Seventh</HI> was plainly to be a <HI>King,</HI> but was not <HI>yet come,</HI> but was to <HI>come,</HI> and to <HI>continue</HI> but a <HI>&s;hort</HI> &s;pace, when He <HI>came;</HI> which farther a&s;&s;ures the Succe&s;&s;ion: For &s;eeing He was not come, He could not be together with the <HI>Sixth King,</HI> who <HI>then</HI> was, nor could He be at the &s;ame Time with the &s;ucceeding <HI>Eighth,</HI> in whom the <HI>City</HI> was to be de&s;troy'd; for He was to <HI>continue</HI> but a <HI>&s;hort &s;pace:</HI> And then after Him the <HI>Eighth King</HI> follows, the <HI>Eighth,</HI> viz. in &s;trict Order, becau&s;e the &s;hort-liv'd <HI>Seventh</HI> came between Him and the <HI>Sixth;</HI> But the <HI>Eighth</HI> was of the <HI>Seven,</HI> viz. of the <HI>Seven Kings,</HI> who were al&s;o the <HI>Seven Heads;</HI> there mu&s;t be therefore a Succe&s;&s;ion between the <HI>Seventh</HI> &s;hort-liv'd, and the <HI>Eighth;</HI> becau&s;e the <HI>Seventh</HI> and <HI>Eighth</HI> imply &s;o much, the <HI>Seventh</HI> is to <HI>continue a &s;hort &s;pace.</HI> The <HI>Eighth</HI> therefore nece&s;&s;arily is &s;uppos'd not to be &s;o cur|tailed in Time; Both Kings, and &s;o not together, and the <HI>Other Seventh</HI> no <HI>Head;</HI> for the <HI>Eighth</HI> was of the <HI>Seven Kings</HI> that were <HI>Heads.</HI> From all which it is mo&s;t impo&s;&s;ible, but that a Succe&s;&s;ion mu&s;t appear mo&s;t manife&s;tly.</P>
<P>There is no Appearance of the lea&s;t of an <HI>Hiatus</HI> or Gap; <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Propo&s;."> there is no <HI>Interreign,</HI> no <HI>vacuum,</HI> or empty &s;pace in the Suc|ce&s;&s;ion betwixt the <HI>Sixth King,</HI> then in Being, the <HI>Seventh</HI> and
<PB N="10" REF="13"> the <HI>Eighth,</HI> in which onely the <HI>Prophetick</HI> Time is concern'd, but all the Caution again&s;t it that can be; for why was this <HI>Seventh King,</HI> who was no <HI>Head,</HI> put in, but that he might &s;tand, as an <HI>Embolimean</HI> or double <HI>Seventh King,</HI> like our <HI>Embo|limean</HI> or double Twenty fourth of <HI>February</HI> in every <HI>Emboli|mean</HI> or <HI>Intercalar,</HI> or, as we u&s;ually &s;peak, <HI>Leap-year,</HI> that there might be no di&s;order in Time, as here no Gap in the Succe&s;&s;i|on; For thus only could the Succe&s;&s;ion of the&s;e <HI>Kings</HI> exact|ly Lead the Cour&s;e of the <HI>Cities</HI> Time; So that the Spaces of it might be mea&s;ur'd thereby: But if Tho&s;e <HI>Seven Kings</HI> only, that were <HI>Heads</HI> had been nam'd, while there was Another be|tween, that was no <HI>Head,</HI> and he had not been Nam'd; There mu&s;t have been a Leap of Time from the <HI>&s;ixth</HI> to the <HI>&s;eventh Head,</HI> and no Account of the <HI>Seventh King</HI> (making the <HI>&s;eventh Head</HI> the <HI>eighth King)</HI> to have &s;well'd up that &s;pace of the <HI>&s;eventh King's</HI> Time into Appearance and Notice.</P>
<P>From whence it is Evident, that the <HI>Seventh King, no Head</HI> of the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> that <HI>Carries the Woman,</HI> and yet A <HI>King</HI> of the <HI>City,</HI> is ca&s;t in to keep the Cour&s;e and Current of the <HI>Prophetic</HI> Time &s;trait and tight; For if the very exact Pourtraicture of the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> had been only de&s;ign'd, It had been more Ju&s;t and Even, with|out any mention of the <HI>Seventh King,</HI> that pertain'd not to the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> nor to the <HI>Woman as carried by the Bea&s;t.</HI> But It was ab&s;o|lutely nece&s;&s;ary, that <HI>King</HI> al&s;o &s;hould be mention'd, that the Time of the <HI>Prophecy</HI> with Relation to the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> and the <HI>City</HI> might be under ju&s;t Computation, which it could not have been, except the <HI>Seventh King,</HI> being <HI>King of the City,</HI> as before &s;aid, and Coming between the <HI>&s;ixth King</HI> and <HI>Head,</HI> and the <HI>Eighth King</HI> but <HI>&s;eventh Head</HI> had been plac'd in his Regular Succe&s;&s;ion, how|ever it &s;eem to interrupt the &s;tate of the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> who for that time (as we &s;hall &s;ee) <HI>lay wounded,</HI> and &s;o was to &s;uffer that Di&s;order in this his <HI>prophetical</HI> Repre&s;entation.</P>
<P>The <HI>King</HI> that was no <HI>Head</HI> can have no room in the Order <MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="Propo&s;it."> of Succe&s;&s;ion, but ju&s;t in that <HI>Seventh</HI> Place: For the <HI>Seven Heads</HI> are <HI>&s;even Kings,</HI> viz. <HI>Seven</HI> that are al&s;o <HI>Heads;</HI> Seeing then there are <HI>Eight Kings,</HI> although but <HI>&s;even Heads:</HI> There mu&s;t be one of the&s;e <HI>Kings</HI> who is no <HI>Head;</HI> El&s;e there mu&s;t be <HI>eight Heads,</HI> which contradicts the <HI>Prophecy:</HI> Which Place then the <HI>King</HI> No <HI>Head</HI> holds mu&s;t be enquir'd; It cannot be any of the <HI>Five Fallen;</HI> For they are in Con&s;truction of Speech nece&s;&s;arily <HI>Heads,</HI> For tho&s;e <HI>&s;even Heads</HI> are <HI>Seven Kings, Five</HI> of which <HI>Kings,</HI>
<PB N="11" REF="13"> who were <HI>Heads</HI> are <HI>Fallen:</HI> So the very Frame of the Words requires. But be&s;ides the <HI>Five</HI> are put together, and &s;o mu&s;t be of a Kind, and therefore All alike <HI>Heads,</HI> or All alike no <HI>Heads,</HI> if All no <HI>Heads,</HI> where then can be the <HI>Seven?</HI> therefore of ne|ce&s;&s;ity <HI>All Heads.</HI> And There is nothing more in the Mind and De&s;ign of the <HI>Prophecy,</HI> than to a&s;&s;ure us the <HI>Eighth King</HI> is a <HI>Head;</HI> For whereas He is the <HI>Eighth</HI> in Number of <HI>Kings,</HI> He is Tran&s;|pos'd backward, and made the <HI>Seventh,</HI> viz. <HI>Head.</HI> For &s;o he mu&s;t be, when of the <HI>Seven; Seven,</HI> Take them either as <HI>Kings,</HI> or <HI>Heads,</HI> both which as together and in one are <HI>Sevens,</HI> and no other are <HI>Sevens</HI> but they who are both <HI>Kings</HI> and <HI>Heads;</HI> For the <HI>&s;even Heads</HI> are <HI>&s;even Kings.</HI> And it is plain He is la&s;t of the <HI>&s;even,</HI> and &s;o mu&s;t be the <HI>&s;eventh;</HI> viz. <HI>Head</HI> and <HI>King.</HI></P>
<P>The Di&s;pute then can only lye betwixt the <HI>&s;eventh</HI> and the <HI>&s;ixth Kings,</HI> which of tho&s;e Two &s;hall be the <HI>King,</HI> who yet is no <HI>Head.</HI> Now the very Contexture of the Words nece&s;&s;arily determines us upon the <HI>&s;ixth</HI> as <HI>Head,</HI> as well as <HI>King,</HI> or at lea&s;t &s;trongly enclines us; For <HI>Five Kings,</HI> that are <HI>Heads</HI> are <HI>Fallen,</HI> And <HI>One is One,</HI> what? but of the <HI>Heads,</HI> who are <HI>Kings.</HI> <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> <HI>Another</HI> is not <HI>yet Come, Another,</HI> what? but <HI>King,</HI> Yet not <HI>Head,</HI> For He is <HI>Another;</HI> For when &s;uch a Point of difference is to be decided, there is great Rea&s;on to give the word <HI>Another</HI> a greater weight of Sen&s;e, then only a ca&s;ual Word of Order; but it &s;eems the <HI>Spirit</HI> of <HI>Prophecy</HI> cho&s;e that word <HI>[One]</HI> that the word <HI>[Another]</HI> might fall emphatically and yet concealedly, as po&s;&s;ible to be ca&s;ually, where He would have it ju&s;t Fall.</P>
<P>Further, when He <HI>Comes, He must continue but a &s;hort &s;pace,</HI> which is &s;aid only of the <HI>&s;eventh King,</HI> and no <HI>Head,</HI> For the <HI>Five</HI> are put together, The <HI>Sixth</HI> is; The <HI>Eighth</HI> goes indeed into <HI>Perdition,</HI> but after how long Time is here but Intimated: On|ly the <HI>&s;eventh</HI> is of <HI>&s;hort &s;pace,</HI> who being no <HI>Head</HI> of the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> that <HI>Carries the City,</HI> ought to be of <HI>&s;hort &s;pace</HI> only; For neither the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> nor &s;uch a <HI>City</HI> could have &s;urvived long, if the <HI>King</HI> no <HI>Head</HI> had been of long duration: But they were to &s;urvive long.</P>
<P>La&s;tly, the <HI>Eighth</HI> is expre&s;ly &s;aid to be of the <HI>Seven,</HI> immedi|ately after the <HI>Seventh</HI> had made an Interruption between the <HI>Heads,</HI> being no <HI>Head</HI> Him&s;elf, but if the <HI>&s;eventh King</HI> had been a <HI>Head,</HI> and the <HI>&s;ixth</HI> none, we might have expected, what Falls &s;o on the <HI>&s;eventh King,</HI> would have been fix'd on the <HI>&s;ixth King,</HI> to di&s;tingui&s;h it from being a <HI>Head;</HI> and what is &s;et on the
<PB N="12" REF="14"> <HI>Eighth King</HI> to a&s;&s;ure Him to be a <HI>Head,</HI> would have been in the &s;ame mea&s;ure Communicated to the <HI>&s;eventh King,</HI> to a&s;&s;ure Him to be a <HI>Head,</HI> as well as <HI>King,</HI> if the <HI>&s;ixth King</HI> had made a Cha&s;m or Breach betwixt the <HI>Heads,</HI> whereas All falls fit on the <HI>&s;eventh King</HI> on all &s;ides to be no <HI>Head.</HI></P>
<P>But though All This be enough, yet we &s;hall have much more to A&s;&s;ure us when we come to know who the&s;e <HI>Heads</HI> are; that of all mo&s;t indi&s;putably the <HI>&s;ixth</HI> mu&s;t be a <HI>Head,</HI> and the <HI>&s;eventh</HI> could be no <HI>Head,</HI> &s;eeing the <HI>heads</HI> are <HI>Full of the Names of Bla&s;phemy.</HI></P>
<P>The&s;e <HI>&s;even Kings</HI> are not <HI>&s;even</HI> particular <HI>Kings,</HI> or &s;ingle <MILESTONE N="4" UNIT="Propo&s;it."> <HI>Monarchic</HI> Per&s;ons, but <HI>&s;even Governments,</HI> having each a Num|ber or Succe&s;&s;ion of &s;uch &s;ingle <HI>Kings</HI> under them; For <HI>Kings</HI> in <HI>Prophetic</HI> Scripture &s;ignifie <HI>Kingdoms,</HI> and not only &s;ingle <HI>Kings;</HI> So <HI>Dan.</HI> 7. 17. what are call'd <HI>Four Kings,</HI> no one doubts Mean <HI>Four Kingdoms;</HI> Accordingly <HI>v.</HI> 23. the <HI>Fourth King</HI> is In|terpreted to be the <HI>Fourth Kingdom.</HI></P>
<P>In this <HI>Prophecy,</HI> proportionably the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> with <HI>Seven Heads</HI> is the whole <HI>Roman</HI> Empire or <HI>Kingdom</HI> (according to the old <HI>Prophetic</HI> Emblem of <HI>Heatheni&s;h Monarchies)</HI> from its fir&s;t Foun|dation, and Beginning to its la&s;t Overthrow, in which <HI>Rome,</HI> the <HI>Imperial City,</HI> hath been always by the <HI>Seven Headed Bea&s;t</HI> Exalted and borne on High.</P>
<P>The <HI>Heads</HI> are the &s;everal <HI>Governments</HI> and <HI>Forms</HI> of <HI>Empire,</HI> that have each in their &s;everal Sea&s;ons exerci&s;ed Supremacy, and Sovereign Authority in that <HI>Monarchy State</HI> or <HI>Kingdom, Five</HI> of which the <HI>Prophecy</HI> (as before nam'd) binds up together as unintere&s;&s;ed in their Duration or Succe&s;&s;ion: The La&s;t of the&s;e <HI>Heads,</HI> which is the <HI>Seventh</HI> and <HI>Eighth King,</HI> is eminently &s;tyl'd the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> becau&s;e His Supremacy is chiefly treated of by this <HI>Prophecy,</HI> and in which the whole <HI>City</HI> and All <HI>goes into Per|dition with Him.</HI></P>
<P>Now to demon&s;trate, that the&s;e <HI>Heads</HI> and <HI>Kings</HI> mu&s;t be Forms of Government, let us con&s;ider, one and the &s;ame <HI>City,</HI> the <HI>City Rome</HI> is <HI>Carried</HI> upon the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> of the&s;e <HI>Seven Heads</HI> (to|gether with the Ca&s;t-in-King) its whole Time, even to its final De&s;olation: For its whole <HI>Ichnography</HI> or Repre&s;entation is charg'd upon the&s;e <HI>Seven Heads,</HI> in the la&s;t of which It is utterly De&s;olated. The <HI>Heads</HI> therefore cannot be &s;everal <HI>Monarchies</HI> and <HI>Kingdoms;</HI> For They are All the <HI>Heads of One Bea&s;t</HI> or <HI>Mo|narchy,</HI> and &s;o not &s;everal <HI>Monarchies</HI> or <HI>Empires.</HI> They All
<PB N="13" REF="14"> bear up the One <HI>City Rome,</HI> and &s;o mu&s;t be one <HI>Roman Supremacy:</HI> Nor can they be &s;ingle <HI>Kings</HI> or <HI>Monarchic</HI> Per&s;ons, &s;eeing neither would <HI>Seven</HI> Lives &s;upport the Grandeur of <HI>Eternal Rome,</HI> as It was Call'd, nor in Fact have any <HI>Seven</HI> &s;o &s;upported it from the Apo&s;tle <HI>John</HI>'s Time, much le&s;s <HI>Two,</HI> (One of which was then in Being,) although we ca&s;t in the <HI>Embolimean &s;eventh King,</HI> but not <HI>Head;</HI> For &s;ince the Writing of the <HI>Apostle</HI> is above &s;ixteen hundred Years, and yet the <HI>Judgment Written</HI> in this <HI>Prophecy</HI> is not as yet Executed; From the Time then that This <HI>City</HI> was &s;aid to have &s;uch an A&s;cendency, as to have the <HI>Kingdom over the Kings of the Earth,</HI> to this time of the De&s;olation here Foretold, the City <HI>Rome</HI> was to be kept up in Dignity by its <HI>&s;ixth King</HI> then in <HI>Being,</HI> by its <HI>&s;eventh King</HI> no <HI>Head</HI> for a <HI>&s;hort &s;pace,</HI> by its <HI>Eighth King</HI> and <HI>&s;eventh Head,</HI> under which it is to <HI>&s;ink as a Mill-&s;tone.</HI> How impo&s;&s;ible is it therefore, the&s;e <HI>Kings</HI> &s;hould be other then Governments or Succe&s;&s;ions of &s;everal Per&s;ons, or numbers of Per&s;ons in each Government?</P>
<P>Let us now lay together the&s;e Four Propo&s;itions, and con&s;i|der their Amount to that which we are upon; That which we are upon, is, That the Pre&s;ent and not a Future <HI>Rome</HI> or <HI>Anti|chri&s;t</HI> Falls under the Thunder-&s;troke of this <HI>Prophecy;</HI> and that the <HI>People of God</HI> are call'd out of the pre&s;ent <HI>Roman City</HI> or <HI>Church:</HI> The general way of proving this mu&s;t be by finding, that the Pre&s;ent <HI>Rome</HI> is upon the <HI>Eighth King</HI> and <HI>&s;eventh Head;</HI> Toge|ther with which It is to be de&s;troy'd. For that is the <HI>Rome</HI> out of which the <HI>People of God are call'd, even that Rome,</HI> that is to be hus de&s;troy'd.</P>
<P>To find this we mu&s;t con&s;ider the <HI>Eight Kings</HI> and <HI>Seven Heads,</HI> under which <HI>Rome</HI> pa&s;&s;es its whole Time, and be able to judge of their Times. To which end I have debated the&s;e Four Pro|po&s;itions.</P>
<P N="1">1. That the&s;e are <HI>Kings</HI> in Succe&s;&s;ion. 2. That the Succe&s;&s;i|ons are immediate, and without any void Time between. 3. That the <HI>King</HI> that was no <HI>Head</HI> can have no Room but in the <HI>&s;eventh</HI> place. 4. That the <HI>&s;even</HI> and <HI>eight Kings</HI> are not &s;ingle-Kings, but &s;everal, and a number of <HI>Kings</HI> under each <HI>King.</HI></P>
<P>Now let us con&s;ider the Amount of the&s;e four Propo&s;itions, and it mu&s;t needs be that the&s;e Things will follow.</P>
<P>That whatever <HI>King</HI> or &s;ort of Government carried the <HI>City</HI> <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Con&s;equ."> <HI>Rome</HI> aloft in the <HI>Apo&s;tle Johns</HI> Time of writing the <HI>Revelation,</HI>
<PB N="14" REF="15"> mu&s;t be the <HI>&s;ixth King,</HI> for <HI>Five</HI> then <HI>were fallen,</HI> with whom the <HI>Prophecy</HI> had no further to do, then to give them, as a mark of the <HI>City,</HI> and of the <HI>Bea&s;ts</HI> carrying it. <HI>One was then</HI> in <HI>Being,</HI> which following the <HI>Five</HI> mu&s;t needs be the <HI>Sixth.</HI></P>
<P>We know both by <HI>Hi&s;tory,</HI> and by <HI>Scripture</HI> mentioning <HI>Au|gu&s;tus,</HI> <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Con&s;equ."> <HI>Tiberius, Claudius Cae&s;ar, Emperours of Rome,</HI> That the <HI>Head</HI> bearing up <HI>Rome</HI> in the Apo&s;tles Times was the <HI>Heathen Imperial Head;</HI> And &s;eeing there was no Time, that <HI>Rome</HI> was more <HI>drunk</HI> with the <HI>Blood of Saints,</HI> in univer&s;al Acknowledg|ment; nor the <HI>Roman Empire</HI> more confe&s;&s;edly carryed the <HI>Names of Bla&s;phemy,</HI> then at that Time; We know by the &s;ame univer&s;al Con&s;ent, that of all others the <HI>&s;ixth King</HI> mu&s;t needs be a <HI>Head;</HI> which decides &s;o far the doubt betwixt the <HI>&s;ixth</HI> and the <HI>&s;eventh Kings,</HI> which &s;hould be of them Two the <HI>Head,</HI> &s;eeing both could not; and it a&s;&s;ures us the <HI>&s;ixth</HI> mu&s;t be the <HI>Head.</HI> And indeed were not the <HI>Prophecy</HI> &s;o pui&s;&s;antly again&s;t it, It looked fair to be the <HI>Rome,</HI> and <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> of that Time here meant, but for great Rea&s;ons that can't be.</P>
<P>We know by undoubted <HI>Hi&s;tory,</HI> the <HI>Heathen Imperiali&s;m</HI> fell by <HI>Con&s;tantine,</HI> in whom the <HI>Empire</HI> became <HI>Chri&s;tian:</HI> And &s;eeing <MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="Con&s;equ."> there was no <HI>Inter-reign,</HI> or breach in the &s;ucce&s;&s;ion of <HI>Kings</HI> af|ter the <HI>&s;ixth,</HI> the <HI>&s;eventh</HI> mu&s;t immediately &s;ucceed; And there|fore It mu&s;t be the <HI>Chri&s;tian Empire,</HI> becau&s;e that immediately followed that <HI>Heathen;</HI> from whence it appears how admirably agreeable the <HI>Prophecy</HI> and the Event are; For as we have made evident by the words of the <HI>Prophecy</HI> the <HI>&s;eventh King</HI> could be no <HI>Head,</HI> carrying the <HI>Names of Bla&s;phemy.</HI> So the <HI>Chri&s;tian Empire</HI> acknowledging the <HI>One God,</HI> and the <HI>One Mediator,</HI> the <HI>True God,</HI> in whom is <HI>Eternal Life,</HI> was free from this Brand, and by wonderful Wi&s;dom of Providence It was ordered, that <HI>Con&s;tan|tine,</HI> and other the Chri&s;tian Emperours withdrew them&s;elves much from <HI>Rome,</HI> &s;o that they did not as the <HI>Heads</HI> of the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> bear <HI>Rome</HI> &s;o high, but It was in an Eclip&s;e, <HI>Con&s;tantine</HI> building the <HI>City Con&s;tantinople</HI> as a <HI>New Rome</HI> to &s;hade the Old; And which is wonderful a&s;&s;uring as <HI>Prophecy</HI> pre&s;ents the <HI>Bea&s;t wounded in One of his Heads</HI> with a <HI>deadly wound,</HI> &s;o we know by Hi&s;tory the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> as an <HI>Idolatrous Empire</HI> was wounded in the <HI>Chri&s;tian Victories</HI> over the <HI>Idolatrous Emperours</HI> and <HI>Chiefs:</HI> Thus every way the word <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> or [Another] falls &s;o duly upon the <HI>Chri&s;tian Em|perour,</HI> that It is even to ravi&s;hment at the Wi&s;dom of the very <HI>prophetical Grammar,</HI> that &s;o plac'd the <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> or [One] that the
<PB N="15" REF="15"> <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> or [Another] might follow big with Sen&s;e, and yet veil'd with &s;ecre&s;ie; and la&s;tly, <HI>This Empire</HI> continued but a <HI>&s;hort &s;pace; viz.</HI> about an hundred and fifty years, which was &s;hort compa|red with the <HI>five fallen</HI> before the <HI>Prophecy,</HI> bundled together; &s;horter by half than the <HI>&s;ixth King</HI> then in <HI>Being;</HI> but beyond compari&s;on &s;horter then the <HI>eighth King,</HI> who is plainly aim'd at, and for who&s;e &s;ake the <HI>&s;eventh King</HI> was cut &s;o &s;hort in Time, that he might have his full Time, <HI>viz.</HI> of <HI>forty two prophetick Months</HI> (as we &s;hall &s;ee) above twelve hundred years in ordina|ry account.</P>
<P>The only Objection I can po&s;&s;ibly divine thus far, is, that be|cau&s;e the form of Government was <HI>Imperial</HI> both under the <HI>Hea|then</HI> and <HI>Chri&s;tian Emperours.</HI> The <HI>Heathen</HI> and <HI>Chri&s;tian Emperour</HI> cannot be under&s;tood to be two forms of Government, and &s;o the <HI>&s;ixth</HI> and the <HI>&s;eventh Kings</HI> &s;eem confounded into One, and thereby this account is overthrown.</P>
<P>To this I an&s;wer fir&s;t, &s;eeing we are &s;ure the <HI>Heathen Empire</HI> <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="An&s;w."> mu&s;t be the <HI>&s;ixth King,</HI> that <HI>then was;</HI> It will very little alter the ca&s;e, as to the pre&s;ent <HI>Rome,</HI> For It is certain that <HI>&s;ixth King</HI> mu&s;t be <HI>fallen;</HI> we are al&s;o certain, the <HI>&s;eventh</HI> being to <HI>continue but a &s;hort &s;pace,</HI> mu&s;t be <HI>fallen</HI> al&s;o, becau&s;e the &s;pace from the <HI>&s;ixth King</HI> hath been &s;o very long. From whence it will follow the <HI>Eighth</HI> and la&s;t <HI>King</HI> mu&s;t be, and mu&s;t have been long in play, and whoever is, and hath been long &s;o, mu&s;t be the <HI>eighth King,</HI> and <HI>Rome</HI> mu&s;t be this <HI>Rome</HI> under him, and this <HI>Rome</HI> and He mu&s;t be de&s;troyed together; and if we will believe the <HI>Pro|phecy,</HI> all this mu&s;t be &s;ure. And &s;o, as I &s;ay, the difference can|not be great; For under whom&s;oever the <HI>City</HI> now is, He mu&s;t be the <HI>eighth King, Rome</HI> borne up by Him mu&s;t be the <HI>Rome</HI> here de&s;cribed, and mu&s;t be de&s;troyed with Him the <HI>Bea&s;t;</HI> and the <HI>People of God mu&s;t come out of it,</HI> as It is and hath &s;o long been in the <HI>eighth King.</HI></P>
<P>Although the form of Government under the <HI>Heathen</HI> and <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="An&s;w."> <HI>Chri&s;tian Emperours</HI> was alike, and the &s;ame <HI>Imperial</HI> Form, yet the Spirit and Soul of the Government being &s;o purely <HI>Chri&s;tian</HI> in Gods Account, It highly merited to be reputed and given, as a new Succe&s;&s;ion of <HI>Kings,</HI> as a di&s;tinct <HI>&s;eventh King,</HI> being &s;o much <HI>Another,</HI> &s;o much different from tho&s;e before, and from that after it, although It had great Failings, even as the <HI>Kings</HI> of the <HI>Hou&s;e of David</HI> had, and yet were in &s;ub&s;tance a Line of Honour in the <HI>&s;acred Regi&s;ter.</HI></P>
<PB N="16" REF="16">
<P>By all this we mu&s;t know, the <HI>&s;eventh Head,</HI> but <HI>eighth King</HI> <MILESTONE N="4" UNIT="Con&s;eq."> mu&s;t have immediately &s;ucceeded at the expiration of the <HI>Chri|&s;tian Empire,</HI> becau&s;e that <HI>continued</HI> but a <HI>&s;hort &s;pace</HI> after the <HI>Hea|then Empire</HI> in <HI>Being</HI> in the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> Time, but a long Time hath now run out, and yet <HI>Rome</HI> is in Grandeur.</P>
<P>Whatever Name hath therefore carryed the Name of Supre|macy derived from the <HI>City Rome</HI> it &s;elf, and borne up that in Grandeur above the <HI>Kings of the Earth</HI> at any Time, or at this day, and more e&s;pecially for a long &s;pace together, &s;ince the <HI>Fall</HI> of the <HI>Heathen Empire,</HI> and &s;ince the <HI>Fall of the Chri&s;tian Em|pire,</HI> and of its very <HI>Imperial Name</HI> mu&s;t be the <HI>eighth King;</HI> be the Name what It will: And <HI>Rome &s;itting upon that Bea&s;t,</HI> as that which hath drunk into it &s;elf the Name of the <HI>whole Bea&s;t</HI> mu&s;t be that <HI>Rome,</HI> and its <HI>eighth King,</HI> from whom the <HI>People of God</HI> are to <HI>&s;eparate,</HI> that they may not partake of their <HI>Sins,</HI> nor <HI>re|ceive of their Plagues,</HI> or el&s;e the <HI>Prophecy</HI> can have no &s;en&s;e, or its &s;en&s;e cannot be True.</P>
<P>And &s;eeing we know that All This Time <HI>Rome</HI> hath incor|porated the Name of a <HI>Church</HI> with the Name of a <HI>City,</HI> and that the <HI>Bi&s;hop</HI> or <HI>Pope</HI> of <HI>Rome</HI> hath had the <HI>Supremacy</HI> of that <HI>City</HI> and <HI>Church,</HI> and carried it on high, riding as a Queen in State by Virtue of that <HI>Supremacy</HI> &s;ince the <HI>fall</HI> of the <HI>Imperial</HI> Name fir&s;t as <HI>Pagan,</HI> and then as <HI>Chri&s;tian</HI> we mu&s;t know, that He is the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> the <HI>eighth King</HI> and <HI>&s;eventh Head,</HI> and that <HI>Rome</HI> as a <HI>Church</HI> now, more then a <HI>City,</HI> though a <HI>City</HI> too, is that very <HI>Rome,</HI> from which the <HI>People of God</HI> are to <HI>come out,</HI> becau&s;e of the foulne&s;s of its <HI>Antichri&s;tian</HI> and <HI>Idolatrous Fornications,</HI> and becau&s;e of the Horror of that Vengeance to be exacted upon it, of which the Judgment upon <HI>Sodom,</HI> the <HI>Plagues</HI> upon <HI>Aegypt,</HI> and the <HI>Vengeance</HI> on <HI>Samaria</HI> and <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> were but Types; For It is that <HI>Edomiti&s;h Border of Wickedne&s;s</HI> again&s;t which God <HI>will have Indignation for ever.</HI></P>
<P>For if <HI>Rome,</HI> and no other be the <HI>City,</HI> as we have &s;een beyond Conte&s;t, it is, the <HI>Pillars</HI> of its Time from the <HI>Prophecy</HI> are &s;o high and lofty, that they cannot be over-&s;een; The <HI>&s;ixth King</HI> then in <HI>Being</HI> when the <HI>Apo&s;tle John</HI> writ is one <HI>Pillar,</HI> the &s;o more than <HI>Monumental</HI> De&s;truction of &s;o <HI>Imperious a City</HI> is the other <HI>Pillar.</HI> Whatever time runs between the&s;e Two <HI>Pillars</HI> by the expre&s;s Words of the <HI>Prophecy</HI> are given to the <HI>&s;ixth King</HI> then in <HI>Being,</HI> to the &s;hort &s;pace of the <HI>&s;eventh King,</HI> and the whole, how long &s;oever after to the <HI>&s;eventh Head</HI> and <HI>Eighth King.</HI> It
<PB N="17" REF="16"> being then &s;ixteen Ages &s;ince the <HI>Apo&s;tle</HI> Writ; It is undeniable, the&s;e <HI>Kings</HI> mu&s;t be Governments, or di&s;tinct Supremacies, ha|ving each many &s;ingle Per&s;ons under them, el&s;e they could not &s;u&s;tain &s;o long a &s;pace; and the <HI>&s;eventh</HI> fewe&s;t, becau&s;e the &s;hort|te&s;t.</P>
<P>The Government that was in the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> time is long <HI>Fallen,</HI> no one can que&s;tion, &s;uppo&s;e then the <HI>&s;eventh King</HI> were di&s;puta|ble who He is, the <HI>Eighth</HI> mu&s;t yet be in Action, becau&s;e the <HI>Seventh</HI> had &s;o <HI>&s;hort a &s;pace:</HI> Whoever the <HI>Eighth</HI> is, He mu&s;t be as clo&s;e united to the <HI>City Rome,</HI> as the Rider is to the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> on which &s;uch Riders &s;it. I appeal therefore to all the the World, that can but under&s;tand Sen&s;e, when it is mo&s;t plainly laid be|fore them, who this can be, but the <HI>Pope of Rome?</HI> who alone, and no other with Him hath been thus united to <HI>Rome</HI> the <HI>City</HI> and <HI>Church,</HI> above the&s;e la&s;t twelve hundred Years.</P>
<P>From all which it mo&s;t ab&s;olutely follows the Pre&s;ent <HI>Rome</HI> is the <HI>City</HI> and <HI>Church,</HI> that is to fall under tho&s;e <HI>Plagues</HI> for her <HI>Sins,</HI> out of which therefore the <HI>People of God are call'd,</HI> that they may not partake of their <HI>Sins,</HI> nor receive of its <HI>Plagues</HI> <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">: Which I undertook to demon&s;trate, and is, I doubt not, in every con&s;idering Mans &s;en&s;e demon&s;trated, as far as is nece&s;&s;ary by a general Argument. But I &s;hall yet give far|ther A&s;&s;urance of it, and An&s;wer all Objections under the fol|lowing Arguments, which &s;hall be yet more particular.</P>
<P>If it can be proved, that the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> that carries the <HI>Woman,</HI> and <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Argu."> is that <HI>&s;eventh Head,</HI> and <HI>Eighth King,</HI> of which &s;o much hath been already di&s;cour&s;ed, hath been in the Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of the Time expre&s;ly de&s;ign'd by <HI>Prophecy</HI> to that <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> that carries the <HI>Woman,</HI> as the <HI>&s;eventh Head</HI> and <HI>Eighth King,</HI> and is now in the Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of that Time, and that it ought to be &s;o long, as it hath already, is now, and mu&s;t &s;till continue to be; This will be yet more particular proof of the <HI>Woman,</HI> that it is the pre&s;ent <HI>Rome,</HI> our of which the <HI>People of God are call'd to come.</HI></P>
<P>For the due management of this Argument, Three Points are nece&s;&s;ary:</P>
<P>The Time it &s;elf of the <HI>Beast</HI> mu&s;t be a&s;&s;ign'd by expre&s;s <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Point"> Words of <HI>Prophecy,</HI> that there may be certain Knowledge of that what it is.</P>
<P>There mu&s;t be &s;ub&s;tantial Proof offered, that the Time a&s;|&s;ign'd <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Point"> will bear &s;uch a Length, as will Comport with this Ar|gument.</P>
<PB N="18" REF="17">
<P>Seeing the Event at the End cannot yet, as a matter of Fact <MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="Point"> give Evidence, that the Time is ju&s;tly a&s;&s;ign'd, there mu&s;t be good Evidence of the well fixing the <HI>Epoch,</HI> or Beginning of that Time according to the <HI>Prophecy,</HI> and according to Event al&s;o; and the Event, that is to be expected at the End, mu&s;t appear to be &s;ufficiently defin'd by <HI>Prophecy,</HI> both as to the <HI>City</HI> or <HI>Woman</HI> carried by the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> and inclu&s;ively, as to the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> al&s;o.</P>
<P>I begin with the Fir&s;t Point, <HI>viz.</HI> That the Time of the <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Point"> <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> is expre&s;ly a&s;&s;ign'd by <HI>Prophecy;</HI> For which I Vouch that known Place, <HI>Revel.</HI> 13. 6. And <HI>Power, Right,</HI> or <HI>Authority</HI> was given to Him the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> to <HI>continue</HI> (as the Word <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> joyn'd with a Word of Time, generally &s;ignifies in the New Te&s;ta|ment) <HI>Fourty Two Months;</HI> Now in that <HI>Power,</HI> or as the Word &s;ignifies, a <HI>Priviledge</HI> or <HI>Authority</HI> was given Him, It &s;ets out, though not a Lawful Authority that was to be obey'd, as is mo&s;t apparent by every thing pertaining to this <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> yet It imports a &s;ignal permi&s;&s;ion, and ordination of God's to that purpo&s;e, and that He carryed the <HI>Woman</HI> as a <HI>King</HI> or <HI>Head</HI> of the <HI>Bea&s;t, viz.</HI> of the <HI>Idolatrous Empire,</HI> and by a <HI>Figure,</HI> or <HI>Synech|dochically</HI> the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> Him&s;elf as <HI>Head,</HI> oft denotes the whole Body.</P>
<P>For the driving this home to the purpo&s;e, I am &s;en&s;ible It will be nece&s;&s;ary to give Proof; That the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> c. 13. and c. 17. are one and the &s;ame <HI>Bea&s;t;</HI> For if the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> were not the &s;ame in both Chapters, we could indeed have no guidance from the <HI>forty two Months</HI> a&s;&s;igned to the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> c. 13. concerning the Time of the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> c. 17. But if it be one and the &s;ame <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> in both Chapters, then the <HI>forty two Months</HI> mu&s;t needs be the Gauge of the Duration of the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> c. 17. as It is c. 13.</P>
<P>Now be&s;ides many Agreements between the Two Repre|&s;entations, a&s;&s;uring them one, and the &s;ame, that would require much Di&s;cour&s;e, and Con&s;ideration of the whole Frame of this &s;tupendious Point of the <HI>Prophecy;</HI> I &s;hall, as I have endeavour'd all along in each Branch of this Di&s;cour&s;e, choo&s;e One, that requires lea&s;t Di&s;cour&s;e, and yet is mo&s;t undeniable; that is, the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> in the Beginning of <HI>chap.</HI> 13. who had one of his <HI>Heads Wounded,</HI> and the <HI>Deadly Wound was healed,</HI> is the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> that had the <HI>Fourty Two Months</HI> limited to Him: The very &s;ame <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> had by the Mini&s;try and Service of the other <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> of whom I will not now enquire, It being unnece&s;&s;ary to the Force of this Argument: The very &s;ame <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> I &s;ay, had an <HI>Image made to Him,</HI> with which He is ever after &s;o conjoyn'd, that the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI>
<PB N="19" REF="17"> and his <HI>Image</HI> go in&s;eparably together; the very &s;ame <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> had the <HI>Number</HI> of his <HI>Name,</HI> as al&s;o his <HI>Mark</HI> made particular unto Him: All the&s;e the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> that had the <HI>Fourty Two Months</HI> de|creed to Him undeniably had, for the <HI>Prophecy</HI> Affirms it in &s;e|veral expre&s;s Words, Calling the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> that had the&s;e, the <HI>Fir&s;t Bea&s;t;</HI> the <HI>Bea&s;t that had a Wound by a Sword,</HI> and <HI>did Live;</HI> the <HI>Bea&s;t who&s;e Deadly Wound was healed.</HI></P>
<P>Now the very &s;ame <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> that hath the <HI>Image,</HI> the <HI>Mark,</HI> the <HI>Name,</HI> the <HI>Number</HI> of the <HI>Name,</HI> and was <HI>wor&s;hipped,</HI> is He that is carryed all along with the&s;e infallible Characters upon Him through every Chapter of this <HI>Prophecy,</HI> after his De&s;cription, c. 13. till He is brought together with the <HI>Woman,</HI> the <HI>City,</HI> or Church under the <HI>&s;eventh Vial,</HI> and both utterly de&s;troyed, c. 19. And they who had <HI>gotten</HI> the <HI>Victory</HI> over his <HI>Image, Mark, Name, Number of his Name,</HI> and would not <HI>Wor&s;hip</HI> Him, nor his <HI>Image,</HI> celebrate the <HI>Judgments of God</HI> made manife&s;t, upon the <HI>Woman,</HI> the <HI>City,</HI> and upon Him, <HI>Ca&s;t into the Red Sea, or Lake of Fire;</HI> as <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> upon the Brink of the <HI>Red Sea</HI> of <HI>Old, &s;ung</HI> the <HI>Prai&s;es of God</HI> in <HI>ca&s;ting Pharaoh</HI> and all his <HI>Ho&s;t</HI> into that <HI>Red Sea,</HI> a kind of Type of this De&s;truction. <HI>c.</HI> 15.</P>
<P>And after all was fully executed upon the <HI>City, carryed upon the Bea&s;t,</HI> upon the <HI>Bea&s;t Him&s;elf,</HI> and upon his <HI>fal&s;e Prophet</HI> and their whole <HI>Party;</HI> They who are fir&s;t, and mo&s;t eminent in the <HI>fir&s;t Re&s;urrection</HI> are they, who had not <HI>wor&s;hipped</HI> the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> nor his <HI>Image,</HI> nor <HI>receiv'd his Mark,</HI> nor his <HI>Name;</HI> &s;o manife&s;t|ly referring to the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> who had All the&s;e, who is the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> that had the <HI>Forty two Months</HI> a&s;&s;ign'd to Him. c. 13. And indeed It is &s;o far from <HI>two Bea&s;ts,</HI> that there is not (except that <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> whom the Prophecy calls the <HI>other Bea&s;t,</HI> who had no <HI>Image, Mark, Name,</HI> nor <HI>number of Name;)</HI> any more <HI>Bea&s;ts</HI> then this <HI>One Bea&s;t,</HI> who had all the&s;e, who is kept &s;o di&s;tinct as not to be confounded by the &s;pecial care and caution of the Divine Spirit. And that other <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> fir&s;t mini&s;tred to this grand <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> till He came to his <HI>Number,</HI> and after &s;erv'd Him as his <HI>fal&s;e Prophet,</HI> and they were adjudged both to the <HI>Lake together;</HI> which, I hope, is full proof, that the &s;ame <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> who had the <HI>forty two Months</HI> a&s;&s;igned to Him, is the very <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> who bears <HI>Rome</HI> aloft in this c. 17. and &s;upports its Time at this day. And now the Time a&s;&s;ign'd is very expre&s;s in this <HI>Prophecy, viz. Forty two Months,</HI> which was the fir&s;t point to be made out.</P>
<PB N="20" REF="18">
<P>There mu&s;t be &s;ub&s;tantial proof, that the Time a&s;&s;ign'd will <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Point."> bear &s;uch a length as may comport with the Argument, that is to reach from the Expiration of the <HI>&s;eventh King</HI> above <HI>twelve hundred years</HI> ago, and &s;o onward till the Times of this <HI>Eighth King</HI> and <HI>&s;eventh Head</HI> &s;hall end al&s;o.</P>
<P>Now It is at fir&s;t &s;ight evident, <HI>Forty two Months</HI> are (naturally under&s;tood) a Time &s;o very &s;hort, and curt, that They afford no room nor &s;pace for Action, that is great and con&s;iderable. But it is as evident there is a <HI>Cyphar</HI> or <HI>prophetick Short-hand</HI> for Time, that multiplies <HI>Days</HI> into <HI>Years,</HI> and <HI>weeks of days</HI> into <HI>weeks of years,</HI> and &s;o con&s;equentially and proportionably <HI>Months of Days</HI> into <HI>Months of Years,</HI> and &s;o proportionably the&s;e <HI>Months</HI> of <HI>Days</HI> into <HI>Months of Years:</HI> And this hath been Standard for the Rate of <HI>prophetick Time,</HI> ever &s;ince It was fir&s;t &s;et and &s;eal'd by God, <HI>Ezek.</HI> 4. 6. <HI>I have appointed thee each day for a year.</HI></P>
<P>And that therefore It &s;hould be &s;o here, there is greate&s;t Rea&s;on. 1. Becau&s;e It is eminent, &s;tupendious, profounde&s;t <HI>Prophecy,</HI> even this whole Book of <HI>Revelation,</HI> and particularly this of the <HI>City</HI> and of its <HI>Prince the Bea&s;t,</HI> and requires deepe&s;t &s;earch, and a <HI>Mind</HI> that hath <HI>Wi&s;dom,</HI> as is more than once ad|moni&s;hed in this very point, and part of the <HI>Prophecy,</HI> that con|cerns the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> as if it were the mo&s;t dark, mi&s;terious, and low|e&s;t laid of any Thing in this whole <HI>Volume of Prophecy;</HI> &s;o that if ever there be place for &s;uch Interpretation of Time, here it is.</P>
<P N="2">2. The nece&s;&s;ity of deferring to the <HI>Prophecy</HI> its own Gran|deur, requires this Interpretation of Time; For when it por|trays &s;uch a Power, as the <HI>Bea&s;tial Power,</HI> and Principality, eve|ry &s;troke of which is great, and admirable; when It draws &s;uch a <HI>City</HI> or <HI>Community &s;itting</HI> upon it, &s;o every way <HI>wonderful,</HI> as that <HI>John wonder'd with great Admiration,</HI> and that principally and in a manner &s;olely in relation to this <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> of the <HI>&s;eventh Head</HI> and <HI>Eighth King,</HI> and at the <HI>Woman</HI> upon Him. If the whole of this Grandeur, Power, and Principality both of the <HI>City,</HI> and of the <HI>King</HI> (for both are to be de&s;troyed together) were coup'd up within the &s;hort &s;pace of <HI>three years and a half,</HI> how &s;mall and pe|tite mu&s;t the <HI>Prophecy</HI> be, in de&s;cribing with &s;o great State and Eloquence of Types and words &s;uch a <HI>Mu&s;hrome City</HI> and <HI>Prince,</HI> that &s;hould Ri&s;e and Fall before they could be known to Live, or be warm in that Potency; where could the <HI>worlds wondering</HI> after the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> and <HI>wor&s;hipping Him</HI> lodg within &s;uch &s;traits of Time? How would the Acclamations to Him <HI>[who is like unto</HI>
<PB N="21" REF="18"> <HI>the Bea&s;t]</HI> be &s;pent in a Breath? How would the mini&s;try of the <HI>other Bea&s;t</HI> to him have any place? Where would his <HI>War with the Saints,</HI> and his <HI>Power</HI> over all <HI>Kindreds, Tongues,</HI> and <HI>Nations receiving his Mark,</HI> &amp;c. find Room. How could the <HI>City</HI> or <HI>my&s;tical Woman</HI> arrive to tho&s;e heights, as to offer the <HI>Golden Cup of its Fornication</HI> to all the <HI>Princes</HI> and <HI>Inhabitants</HI> of the <HI>World,</HI> or to ri&s;e to tho&s;e Riches, to draw &s;uch Confluency, as to make its <HI>Mer|chants</HI> the <HI>Greats of the World?</HI> Who &s;ees not this Nut-&s;hell of Time cannot contain the Ocean of this <HI>Prophecy?</HI></P>
<P>Be&s;ides, as we have before at large found, the City is to be kept on high by the <HI>&s;ixth, &s;eventh,</HI> and <HI>eighth Kings,</HI> from the days of <HI>John</HI> the <HI>Apocalyptical Prophet;</HI> we know how great a Time hath run out &s;ince then, we know the <HI>King,</HI> that then was is long and long ago expir'd; the <HI>&s;eventh King</HI> was to endure but a <HI>&s;hort &s;pace,</HI> and what <HI>&s;hort &s;pace</HI> mu&s;t it then be, if the <HI>eighth King</HI> or <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> was to endure but <HI>three years and a half?</HI> And yet upon this <HI>eighth King</HI> was the <HI>Woman Rome</HI> to ride until its utter De&s;olation. But it hath and doth &s;till <HI>&s;it Queen</HI> &s;ince the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> Time to this Day, and mo&s;tly upon this <HI>Bea&s;tian King,</HI> how can then <HI>forty two Months if Litteral,</HI> an&s;wer &s;o long a &s;pace? So that there is nothing more undeniable then that the&s;e <HI>forty two Months</HI> are to be drawn out by the <HI>Prophetical Elaboratory</HI> into <HI>Months</HI> of <HI>Years.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. When upon a ju&s;t and &s;evere Computation, we find, that the&s;e <HI>forty two Months prophetically</HI> expounded, will reach from the very Time, where according to <HI>Prophecy</HI> they were to begin, down to this Time, and allow for the event, that is to be &s;till expected at the end of tho&s;e <HI>forty two Months,</HI> not yet be|ing <HI>come to pa&s;s,</HI> and will indeed exactly <HI>touch</HI> that very <HI>period</HI> that by Prophecy is affixed to them all together; It is the great|e&s;t proof of the <HI>forty two Months</HI> &s;o to be expounded, that can be expected or de&s;ired, until the event ju&s;tifie all.</P>
<P>Let us then proceed to an exact Calculation of the Time gi|ven us in the&s;e <HI>forty two prophetical Months,</HI> and there &s;ee what length they reach.</P>
<P>The great matter in Que&s;tion will be whether the&s;e <HI>Months</HI> import Time of the <HI>Sun</HI> or of the <HI>Moon;</HI> for between Time of the <HI>Sun,</HI> and of the <HI>Moon,</HI> there will in the whole <HI>forty two Months</HI> be near thirty eight years difference.</P>
<P>But there are the&s;e three great Rea&s;ons they mu&s;t according to the &s;trict propriety of the word, and Thing, <HI>[Months]</HI> be re|gulated by the <HI>Moon,</HI> and not by the <HI>Sun.</HI></P>
<PB N="22" REF="19">
<P>This was always the Sen&s;e of the Scripture, where ever It <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;."> mentions <HI>Months,</HI> it intends Time governed by the <HI>Moon,</HI> which had, as all know, &s;o great Domination over <HI>Jewi&s;h</HI> Time, that the great Solemnities of their <HI>New Moons</HI> and <HI>Fea&s;ts</HI> received Law from it, and It created all the Time, the Scripture calls <HI>Months,</HI> and becau&s;e of tho&s;e <HI>New Moons</HI> mu&s;t nece&s;&s;arily do &s;o. So that if It were not &s;o here, Scripture mu&s;t vary from its own u&s;e of the word throughout all other places; for It hath no word, that it expre&s;&s;es <HI>Months</HI> by, but preci&s;ely taken from the <HI>Moon</HI> or the <HI>Newne&s;s</HI> of the <HI>Moon.</HI> Now why It &s;hould do &s;o here without any Rea&s;on, It &s;hould do &s;o, but much the contrary, as will appear, what Account can be given?</P>
<P>There is nothing more evident, then that this divine <HI>Pro|phecy</HI> keeps a &s;trict and &s;evere Di&s;tinction betwixt the <HI>Children of</HI> <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Rea&s;."> <HI>the day,</HI> and of the <HI>Night,</HI> betwixt the <HI>Witne&s;&s;es,</HI> the <HI>Seed of the Woman,</HI> the <HI>Church,</HI> and the <HI>Woman</HI> the <HI>Church</HI> it &s;elf, who are all of the <HI>Day;</HI> and the <HI>Gentiles</HI> and the <HI>Bea&s;ts</HI> Times, who are of the <HI>Night.</HI> For the Times of the former are &s;ignally mea&s;u|red by <HI>Days,</HI> as governed by the <HI>Sun,</HI> wherewith the <HI>Church</HI> is <HI>Cloathed.</HI> But the Times of the latter are charactered by <HI>Months,</HI> as conducted by the <HI>Moon,</HI> the pale and wan Luminary of the Night; which <HI>Moon</HI> the <HI>Church</HI> is &s;aid (not without regard to this very matter) to <HI>have under its Feet,</HI> and therefore not fit to give its Character of Time. And &s;eeing this hath been taken notice of by many Interpreters of the <HI>Revelation,</HI> It is much of wonder, they have not mea&s;ured the&s;e <HI>Months</HI> by the Cour&s;e of the <HI>Moon</HI> which <HI>Rules the Night.</HI></P>
<P>The Latine word <HI>Men&s;es</HI> hath made the Confu&s;ion, and I know not what &s;hould mi&s;lead them but Inob&s;ervance, &s;eeing the <HI>Hebrew</HI> and <HI>Greek</HI> words exactly tran&s;lated are <HI>Moons,</HI> not <HI>Months,</HI> which kept to, had clear'd all doubts.</P>
<P>There is a third Rea&s;on which is very great, and would ab|&s;olutely determin this Point if it were well Comprehended; and <MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="Rea&s;."> that is, that the <HI>Sun</HI> is the great mea&s;ure of <HI>Days</HI> and <HI>Years,</HI> and of all Time by its &s;uperior Motion, and the <HI>Moon</HI> does but borrow from it as its Light, &s;o its power of guiding and deno|minating any Parts of the Cour&s;e of Time: Even &s;o the <HI>Church</HI> and its <HI>Seed,</HI> who is <HI>Cloathed with the Sun,</HI> mu&s;t give Law to the Cour&s;e of that Time that concerns its &s;elf and its <HI>Seed.</HI> And It hath the <HI>Moon under its Feet</HI> in this re&s;pect al&s;o, that it gives Laws to the Cour&s;e of the <HI>Moon</HI>'s Time by its own Time; &s;o
<PB N="23" REF="19"> then the&s;e <HI>forty two Months</HI> of the <HI>Gentiles,</HI> and the <HI>forty two Months</HI> or rather <HI>Moons</HI> of the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> can be no other than <HI>Lunar,</HI> or <HI>time of the Moon,</HI> as they mu&s;t, being call'd <HI>Moons;</HI> And &s;o as time of the <HI>Moon</HI> mu&s;t be &s;ubordinated to the account of Time by the <HI>Sun</HI>'s Motion; So the&s;e <HI>Months</HI> mu&s;t be &s;ubordinated in their mea&s;ure to the Beginning and Ending of the <HI>Twelve Hundred and Sixty Years,</HI> with which they are always match'd as Corre|&s;pondents, <HI>viz.</HI> of the <HI>Woman,</HI> the <HI>Church in the Wilderne&s;s;</HI> and of its <HI>Seed,</HI> the <HI>Witne&s;&s;es</HI> in <HI>Sackcloth,</HI> and therefore mu&s;t needs be <HI>Lunar</HI> Time or Time of the <HI>Moon;</HI> For if they were <HI>Months</HI> of the <HI>Sun,</HI> (if we might call time of the <HI>Sun; Months,</HI> who&s;e ve|ry Name denotes Time of the <HI>Moon alone,)</HI> and &s;elf-dependent Time the <HI>Fal&s;e Church,</HI> even as the <HI>True Church</HI> mu&s;t be <HI>Cloath|ed with the Sun,</HI> and have <HI>the Moon under its Feet,</HI> which is con|trary to this <HI>Prophecy.</HI></P>
<P>But if we &s;hould attend the full dimen&s;ions of this Argument, It would lead us into the whole &s;tate of the <HI>Characters of Time,</HI> gi|ven in <HI>Daniel</HI> and this <HI>Prophecy,</HI> which would be too large a Di&s;|cour&s;e for what is here intended; and therefore I referr the &s;earching Reader to the Treati&s;e call'd, <HI>A Scripture-Line of Time,</HI> which I have made Publick, and &s;atisfie my &s;elf with what con|cerns the Matter in hand; That the <HI>Forty Two Months</HI> of the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> are <HI>Lunar Time,</HI> and mu&s;t be mea&s;ur'd according to the time of the <HI>Sun,</HI> or the <HI>Twelve hundred and &s;ixty Years</HI> of the <HI>Woman in the Wilderne&s;s,</HI> and the <HI>Witne&s;&s;es</HI> her <HI>Seed</HI> in <HI>Sackcloth,</HI> which cannot be deny'd upon the proof given; and is enough to our pre&s;ent purpo&s;e.</P>
<P>For upon this Ground-work well laid, that the&s;e <HI>Months</HI> are (as the very Propriety of the Expre&s;&s;ion requires) <HI>Months of the Moon,</HI> and to be apply'd to <HI>Twelve hundred &s;ixty Days of the Sun;</HI> It is very plain, the, both Days and Months, ca&s;t a Coun|tenance or Face of <HI>Three Years and a half Prophetically</HI> to be Ex|pounded; <HI>Years</HI> of <HI>Years</HI> for <HI>Years</HI> of <HI>Days:</HI> But, as there is an Abbreviation or &s;hortning of the <HI>Solar Year,</HI> or <HI>Year of the Sun,</HI> into <HI>Three hundred &s;ixty,</HI> for <HI>Three hundred &s;ixty five Days:</HI> So let each <HI>Year of the Moon</HI> be rated in a Proportion, and, as five Days and upwards of the <HI>Sun</HI>'s Time are taken off, &s;o let as many of the <HI>Moon</HI>'s <HI>Years</HI> be taken off al&s;o; and whereas the Year of the <HI>Moon</HI> is Accounted by the be&s;t Accounts of Time, at 354 Days, let it be accounted at 349 Days, and the&s;e <HI>Fourty Two Months</HI> will be as 1222 Years in an&s;wer to 1260 Years, as near, as
<PB N="24" REF="20"> <HI>Time</HI> of the <HI>Sun</HI> and of the <HI>Moon</HI> can be proportion'd one to ano|ther: For which I Appeal to the exacte&s;t Accountants of Time.</P>
<P>Now by all this Di&s;cour&s;e, I have undeniably, as I hope, and cannot but be humbly, yet fully per&s;waded, (for I allow one Year for <HI>Rounding</HI> the Number) gain'd &s;uch a &s;pace of time as <HI>twelve hundred twenty two Years;</HI> very little under or over, for the <HI>Woman to Sit the Bea&s;t of the Seventh Head,</HI> who is the <HI>Eighth King:</HI> But that It will exactly Comport with the Argument we are upon, <HI>viz.</HI> That it is a time &s;ufficient to the definings of the Time by this <HI>propheey,</HI> is to be &s;een under the Third Point, for the management of the Argument, upon which I am now en|tring.</P>
<P>There mu&s;t be good Evidence of the well-fixing the <HI>Begin|ning</HI> <MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="Point"> or <HI>Epoch</HI> of this <HI>Time,</HI> according to the <HI>Prophecy,</HI> and accor|ding to the Event al&s;o. And the Event that is to be fixed at the End, mu&s;t appear to be &s;ufficient, defin'd by <HI>Prophecy,</HI> both as to the <HI>City</HI> or <HI>Woman</HI> carryed by the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> and inclu&s;ively as to the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> al&s;o.</P>
<P>This Point divides it &s;elf into the&s;e two Branches.</P>
<P N="1">1. The well-fixing this <HI>Epoch</HI> or Beginning of the&s;e <HI>twelve hundred twenty two Years</HI> according to <HI>Prophecy,</HI> and according to the Event. 2. And in the &s;ame manner to fix the Event to be evpected at the End.</P>
<P>For the well-fixing the <HI>Epoch</HI> or <HI>Beginning</HI> of the Number of the&s;e <HI>Years,</HI> according to <HI>Prophecy,</HI> and according to the Event it <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Pranch</HI> 1.</NOTE> &s;elf.</P>
<P N="1">1. I mu&s;t recollect and enforce what I have before largely in&s;i&s;ted upon; when there is a Succe&s;&s;ion of Kings, According to that Maxim in Succe&s;&s;ive Governments, <HI>The King never Dyes;</HI> whenever therefore the <HI>&s;ixth King,</HI> that was in the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> time expir'd, the <HI>&s;eventh</HI> mu&s;t needs Succeed. For the Succe&s;&s;ion and Entail is made by God him&s;elf, and therefore mu&s;t &s;tand firm and &s;ure; And when the <HI>Seventh</HI> expir'd, as nece&s;&s;arily on the &s;ame account mu&s;t the <HI>Eighth</HI> Succeed, who was al&s;o the <HI>Seventh Head;</HI> And according to this inviolable Succe&s;&s;ion, the <HI>Apo&s;tle</HI> to this very &s;ame purpo&s;e, &s;peaking of the <HI>Man of Sin,</HI> his being Revealed in his Time, declares, as a &s;top upon Him, however the <HI>My&s;tery of Iniquity</HI> was &s;o <HI>early at work, however earne&s;t</HI> He was to Succeed, yet the Succe&s;&s;ion, which was the <HI>Thing</HI> that <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 The&s;. 2.</NOTE> held clo&s;e and &s;trong, would <HI>Hold its Hold;</HI> So that the <HI>Man of Sin</HI> could not be Revealed before his <HI>Sea&s;on,</HI> or <HI>proper Time;</HI> with|in
<PB N="25" REF="20"> his <HI>Time, Times, Half Time;</HI> For he that <HI>Holdeth,</HI> viz. the <NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 7. 25. 12. 7.</NOTE> <HI>&s;ixth King</HI> in his Time, the <HI>&s;eventh</HI> in his Time, would <HI>Hold his Hold</HI> till each King, and the la&s;t e&s;pecially was <HI>Remov'd out of the way</HI> by that &s;upreme di&s;po&s;e of Providence, or <HI>done</HI> out of that <HI>middle &s;pace</HI> determin'd by God: And then by due Advances was that <HI>Wicked One Revealed;</HI> Now who that con&s;iders that <HI>Man of Sin</HI> of the <HI>Apo&s;tle Paul,</HI> and the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> of the <HI>Apo&s;tle John,</HI> can think of them, and not think them the &s;ame? But that is not the pre&s;ent Bu&s;ine&s;s to prove them the &s;ame, but this <HI>Prophecy</HI> it &s;elf is demon&s;tration enough, as before explained.</P>
<P>Thus far the Matter is determined according to the <HI>Prophecy,</HI> whenever the <HI>Seventh King,</HI> a&s;&s;erted to be the <HI>Chri&s;tian Empe|rour,</HI> expir'd, viz. by a Civil Death, or the Ce&s;&s;ation of the <HI>Im|perial Name,</HI> and Power, immediately the <HI>Eighth King</HI> according to <HI>Prophecy</HI> mu&s;t &s;ucceed, and bear up the <HI>Roman City</HI> in Gran|deur, and whoever hath Borne up that <HI>City</HI> in <HI>Supremacy</HI> &s;ince that Time, mu&s;t be according to <HI>Prophecy</HI> that <HI>Eighth King,</HI> the <HI>Bea&s;t.</HI> Now I Appeal to all the World, what the Year was, when the <HI>We&s;tern Imperial Name Fell;</HI> and it is known in all <HI>Hi|&s;tory</HI> to be the <HI>Year of Our Lord,</HI> according to general Account, 475, from whence Time &s;ince pa&s;&s;ed Allows the&s;e <HI>Forty Two Months</HI> their full &s;pace of 1222 years, within Nine or Ten years; as &s;hall be further urged pre&s;ently. I appeal in the &s;ame man|ner al&s;o, what Name or Power hath Borne up <HI>Rome</HI> &s;ince that Time, claiming Supremacy Him&s;elf, and giving it to that <HI>City;</HI> For He mu&s;t be the <HI>Eighth King,</HI> or the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> who hath &s;o born the <HI>City;</HI> or the <HI>Prophecy</HI> mu&s;t be Fal&s;e, and who knows not, it is the very <HI>Bi&s;hop</HI> or <HI>Pope</HI> of <HI>Rome</HI> that hath &s;o done; For in the wonderful Di&s;po&s;es of God No one hath claim'd a Title of <HI>Empire</HI> from that <HI>City</HI> &s;ince that Year; No one hath Advanc'd that City by <HI>Imperial Re&s;idence</HI> &s;ince that year but the <HI>Pope of Rome</HI> Alone; and He hath done it to all Intents and Purpo&s;es in the Face of all the World.</P>
<P>The <HI>La&s;t Roman Emperour</HI> left that Title <HI>[Bi&s;hop of Rome]</HI> in Being, when He <HI>Fell,</HI> It hath &s;urvived ever &s;ince <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Their &s;o much vaun|ted Succe&s;|&s;ion witne&s;|eth this Point.</NOTE>; For lit|tle Failures or Interruptions make no difference, where the &s;ame Title and Supremacy &s;till run on. It was then proclaim'd by <HI>Jerome, Antichri&s;t</HI> was <HI>Born,</HI> and ever &s;ince he hath been growing up till He came to his Manly Age, and to his Con&s;i&s;tent Age according to <HI>Prophecy;</HI> But &s;ince the <HI>Times of Reformation</HI> indeed, He hath been in a Decay, and &s;o He ought to be by <HI>Prophecy;</HI>
<PB N="26" REF="21"> and however He may &s;ummon his whole &s;trength now at la&s;t, yet it &s;hall be only to Dye; and thus the Thing is ju&s;tifi'd in the Event: and thus the Time of His, the <HI>Bea&s;ts,</HI> and the <HI>City Romes</HI> Supremacy united to Him, as the Rider to the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> un|der the Name of a <HI>Church,</HI> hath had &s;o long of its <HI>Forty Two</HI> Months.</P>
<P>I know there are &s;ome Objections, but none can avail again&s;t <HI>Prophecy</HI> &s;o clearly, &s;o demon&s;tratively Explain'd; I will very briefly pa&s;s over them.</P>
<P>The <HI>Bi&s;hop of Rome</HI> cannot be this <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> of the <HI>Seventh Head,</HI> <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Object."> and therefore not the <HI>Eighth King,</HI> nor <HI>Rome</HI> the <HI>City</HI> borne up by Him, becau&s;e He owns the <HI>True God,</HI> and Je&s;us Chri&s;t, how then can He be a <HI>Head</HI> full of <HI>the Names of Bla&s;phemy?</HI> or <HI>Rome</HI> the Fa|mous <HI>Church</HI> of the World be <HI>Babylon,</HI> the <HI>Mother of Harlots?</HI></P>
<P>Whatever may be the Profe&s;&s;ion of the <HI>True God,</HI> yet when that Profe&s;&s;ion is Adulterated with <HI>Idolatry,</HI> and &s;tain'd with the <MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;wer."> Blood of <HI>Saints;</HI> God accounts of tho&s;e Powers and People ac|cording to what His Word declares; <HI>Zedechiah</HI> was a <HI>Profane, Wicked Prince,</HI> and that latter Succe&s;&s;ion of wicked Princes after <HI>Jo&s;iah, Lyons: Idolatrous I&s;raelites,</HI> are &s;aid from the very Begin|ning to <HI>bla&s;pheme</HI> God: <HI>Samaria</HI> and <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> are tho&s;e Infamous <HI>Pro&s;titutes or Harlots,</HI> call'd <HI>Aholah,</HI> and <HI>Aholibah.</HI> This <HI>Prophecy</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ezek.</HI> 20. 29. <HI>c.</HI> 23.</NOTE> hath therefore determin'd that Doubt, what E&s;teem God hath, and All <HI>his People</HI> are to have of, both of the <HI>Pope</HI> and his <HI>Church.</HI> And there is no Fence again&s;t the <HI>Divine Oracle. The Man of Sin</HI> &s;its in the <HI>Temple of God,</HI> and <HI>Exalts Him&s;elf as God,</HI> and <HI>&s;hews Him&s;elf, that He is God,</HI> which is both <HI>Bla&s;phemy</HI> and <HI>Idolatry;</HI> and He bears the Name of it in being called <HI>Holine&s;s,</HI> and our <HI>Holy Lord.</HI></P>
<P>According to the very Explanation of <HI>Prophecy</HI> given; There <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Object."> is not a clo&s;e Succe&s;&s;ion of <HI>Heads,</HI> though there &s;hould be of <HI>Kings.</HI> For between the <HI>&s;ixth</HI> and the <HI>&s;eventh Head</HI> was the <HI>Chri&s;tian Em|perour,</HI> who, though He was a <HI>King,</HI> was no <HI>Head,</HI> and the <HI>&s;e|venth Head</HI> did not Succeed, till the <HI>Chri&s;tian Empire</HI> Expir'd.</P>
<P>The <HI>Prophecy</HI> expre&s;ly tells us, the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> was <HI>deadly Wounded</HI> in <MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;wer."> one of his <HI>Heads,</HI> which was during the Time of the <HI>Christian Emperour,</HI> who, as we have &s;een, was to come betwixt the <HI>&s;ixth</HI> and the <HI>&s;eventh Heads,</HI> and had not the <HI>eighth Head</HI> been to Succeed, and had He not actually Succeeded after no long &s;pace, in the &s;tyle of <HI>Prophecy;</HI> The <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> had indeed <HI>Dyed,</HI> That is; the <HI>Ro|man</HI>
<PB N="27" REF="21"> <HI>Empire,</HI> as Idolatrous and Bloody in its Per&s;ecutions had ex|pir'd: But becau&s;e the whole of that Time, <HI>Heatheni&s;h Idolatry</HI> and <HI>Per&s;ecution</HI> was Fa&s;hioning into <HI>Antichristian,</HI> the <HI>Beast liv'd,</HI> though <HI>deadly Wounded,</HI> and the <HI>Dragon</HI> gave his <HI>Power</HI> and <HI>Seat,</HI> as by Will to the <HI>Beast.</HI></P>
<P>The <HI>Pope</HI> was long er'e he aro&s;e to &s;uch Supremacy, as would <MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="Object."> An&s;wer the <HI>Prophetic</HI> Types.</P>
<P>And &s;o <HI>Prophecy</HI> Repre&s;ents it; The <HI>Gentiles</HI> or <HI>Antichri&s;tianizing</HI> <MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;wer."> Layty the <HI>Inhabitants of the Earth,</HI> under the <HI>other Bea&s;t</HI> or <HI>Antichri|&s;tianizing Hierarchy of Bi&s;hops;</HI> their <HI>Dignified, and Inferior Clergy; Horn'd like a Lamb;</HI> (among which the <HI>Pope</HI> of <HI>Rome</HI> was Principal, and ever a&s;piring) were a <HI>Protecterian Supremacy,</HI> during the <HI>Wound of the Fir&s;t Bea&s;t,</HI> or <HI>Roman Empire</HI> as <HI>Idolatrous,</HI> which under the <HI>Chri&s;tian Emperours;</HI> was <HI>Wounded deadly</HI> in <HI>One</HI> of, <HI>viz.</HI> the <HI>&s;ixth of its Heads</HI> or the <HI>Pagan Emperours</HI> and <HI>Powers</HI> &s;ubdu'd by the <HI>Chri&s;tian Emperours.</HI></P>
<P>During that Time therefore of the <HI>Wound,</HI> and al&s;o during the Infancy of the <HI>King&s;hip</HI> of the <HI>Seventh Head</HI> and <HI>Eighth King,</HI> That <HI>Hierarchy</HI> hath the High, though Infamous Title of the <HI>Other Bea&s;t</HI> conferr'd upon it, and accordingly <HI>Forty two Months</HI> were a&s;&s;ign'd to the <HI>Gentiles,</HI> as a Signification of &s;uch a <HI>Be&s;tial</HI> Power, under the <HI>Ari&s;tocracy</HI> of the <HI>Other Bea&s;t,</HI> and to note its time.</P>
<P>And thus Things continu'd till the Grand <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Call'd <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> tho' but a <HI>Head</HI> in Imitation of the little <HI>horn,</HI> among the <HI>Ten,</HI> (another Emblem of this <HI>Bea&s;t)</HI> call'd the <HI>Beast,</HI> and <HI>deliver'd</HI> to the <HI>Flames, Dan.</HI> 7. 11.</NOTE> Bea&s;t had an <HI>Image made to Him</HI> to be <HI>Wor&s;hipped,</HI> and All Sware Fealty to him by <HI>Receiving his Mark;</HI> which was the perfect <HI>Healing</HI> the <HI>Wound,</HI> and the Infant <HI>King&s;hip</HI> of the <HI>Seventh Head:</HI> Then He came to his Number 666, which was not till <HI>An. Dom.</HI> 725 or 6, during the <HI>Chri&s;tian Emperours,</HI> many Years after his Succe&s;&s;ion, which the Infancy of a King does not Prejudice. Then the <HI>Other Bea&s;t,</HI> though undivided from the <HI>Grand Bea&s;t,</HI> &s;ubmitted to be his <HI>Fal&s;e Prophet,</HI> and the <HI>Months</HI> of the <HI>Gentiles</HI> naturally merg'd into tho&s;e of the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> having till then &s;upply'd what was wanting in the time of the Night, although the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI>'s Infant Succe&s;&s;ion, as <HI>Eighth King,</HI> and his <HI>Fourty Two Months</HI> commenc'd again&s;t the <HI>Twelve hundred &s;ixty Days,</HI> as the <HI>Moon</HI>'s Nights again&s;t the <HI>Sun</HI>'s Days.</P>
<P>Thus it is no Objection again&s;t <HI>Prophecy,</HI> but according to <HI>Pro|phecy,</HI> that the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> was &s;o long Ri&s;ing to his Exerci&s;e of Supre|macy, as <HI>&s;eventh Head</HI> and <HI>eighth King.</HI> For He is the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> that was in its <HI>Six Heads,</HI> but <HI>deadly Wounded</HI> in the <HI>&s;ixth</HI> of them by the <HI>&s;eventh King</HI> no <HI>Head,</HI> and &s;o <HI>was as Not</HI> in any Appearance, till the <HI>&s;eventh Head,</HI> and <HI>eighth King</HI> was grown up to his Num|ber,
<PB N="28" REF="22"> and the <HI>Wound healed</HI> by an <HI>Image made to Him;</HI> And <HI>Great;</HI> and <HI>Small, Rich</HI> and <HI>Poor, Bond</HI> and <HI>Free received His Mark.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. But this Objection will be more fully an&s;wer'd by a fur|ther &s;ettlement of the very Beginning and Epoch of the&s;e <HI>Forty Two Months</HI> of the <HI>Bea&s;t:</HI> For whenever the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> Ro&s;e, tho&s;e <HI>Months</HI> Ro&s;e al&s;o; Now the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI>'s Ri&s;ing is fix'd to an <HI>Hour,</HI> For the <HI>Ten Kings receive Power,</HI> or <HI>Authority</HI> at <HI>One Hour,</HI> viz. the very &s;ame <HI>Hour</HI> with the <HI>Bea&s;t:</HI> And they <HI>receive Authority</HI> as <HI>Kings</HI> that &s;ame <HI>Hour;</HI> For here <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> is to be Inter|preted at one <HI>Hour,</HI> as <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, <HI>at the Ninth Hour, Acts</HI> 10. 30. And they receive at that <HI>One Hour Authority,</HI> as <HI>Kings;</HI> They had no <HI>Kingdom</HI> in the <HI>Apo&s;tles Time,</HI> although then they were as <HI>Ten Horns</HI> to the <HI>Roman Empire,</HI> but <HI>uncrowned Horns.</HI> For the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> or <HI>Idolatrous Roman Empire,</HI> con&s;i&s;ting of its <HI>Seven Heads</HI> and <HI>Ten Horns,</HI> and of the Body of the People were always alike pourtray'd in <HI>Prophecy,</HI> yet with &s;ome regard to the variety of Times that pa&s;s'd over it: The <HI>Heads</HI> are therefore in the <HI>Ro|man Dragon,</HI> or <HI>Heathen Imperial State,</HI> fir&s;t repre&s;ented <HI>Crowned,</HI> (for they always imported Supreme Power,) and then in the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> the <HI>Heads</HI> having been already <HI>Crowned,</HI> the <HI>Horns</HI> are pre|&s;ented <HI>Crown'd,</HI> &s;hewing at the <HI>one</HI> and the &s;ame <HI>Hour,</HI> the <HI>Seventh Head</HI> of the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> came to the Exerci&s;e of Sovereignty, The <HI>Ten Horns</HI> al&s;o <HI>received Power</HI> as <HI>Kings;</HI> And in this Vi&s;ion, <HI>c.</HI> 17. Neither the <HI>Heads</HI> nor the <HI>Horns</HI> are pre&s;ented as <HI>Crown'd,</HI> having been both <HI>Crown'd</HI> in the former Vi&s;ion, and explain'd in this.</P>
<P>But let us Examine when could the&s;e <HI>Ten Kings receive Autho|rity</HI> as <HI>Kings,</HI> and be ju&s;tly own'd as &s;uch, for the <HI>Prophecy</HI> &s;ays they had <HI>received no Kingdom as yet;</HI> And it was at <HI>One</HI> and the <HI>&s;ame Hour</HI> with the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> viz. when He &s;ucceeded the <HI>Seventh King,</HI> or when the <HI>Roman Chri&s;tian Empire</HI> cea&s;ed; For when their <HI>&V;niver&s;al Monarch,</HI> their Lawful Prince renounced <HI>Empire,</HI> as <HI>Au|gu&s;tulus</HI> did; Then had the <HI>Bea&s;t Authority</HI> to begin His <HI>Months,</HI> and then the&s;e <HI>Ten Kings received Authority</HI> as <HI>Kings,</HI> which could not according to the <HI>Law of Kingdoms</HI> (to which Law the <HI>Pro|phecy</HI> yields Deference) be, while the Lawful Sovereign was in Being; But he cea&s;ing to be a <HI>King,</HI> their Obligation ceas'd, and then they <HI>Ri&s;e</HI> up as <HI>Kings,</HI> whatever they had had done be|fore towards being <HI>Kings,</HI> was till then but U&s;urpation and not Authority; Which Con&s;ideration ab&s;olutely fixes the Succe&s;&s;i|on and the Time of it: And they are call'd <HI>Ten,</HI> not to rai&s;e a Scruple about their exact Number, <HI>Ten,</HI> neither more nor le&s;s,
<PB N="29" REF="22"> but being &s;everal, into which the <HI>One Empire</HI> &s;prouted again&s;t its will, (as All <HI>History</HI> well knows, that at that Time the <HI>Empire</HI> was &s;o Torn into Pieces.) But they are called <HI>Ten</HI> to pre&s;erve Regard to that <HI>Fir&s;t Image,</HI> in which this <HI>Roman Empire</HI> came down to the <HI>Feet,</HI> and was divided into the <HI>Ten Toes.</HI> And this being the State of that <HI>Empire</HI> under its <HI>Seventh Head,</HI> the <HI>Horns,</HI> or <HI>Kings,</HI> &s;eated in it, are called <HI>Ten</HI> with re&s;pect to that <HI>First Statue</HI> given of the <HI>Four Empires,</HI> and of the la&s;t Form of the <HI>La&s;t Empire.</HI> And they are call'd <HI>Horns,</HI> becau&s;e notwith&s;tanding They were Ab&s;olute, Independent <HI>Kings, Yet as Horns</HI> give offen|&s;ive and defen&s;ive force to the <HI>Head,</HI> and that hath Supreme Man|nagement of them; &s;o the&s;e <HI>Horns</HI> gave their Power to the <HI>Se|venth Head.</HI> So making Him an Univer&s;al Monarch, or <HI>eighth King,</HI> till the <HI>Words of God are fulfill'd.</HI></P>
<P>Now I know not how a firmer Settlement of the Beginning of the&s;e <HI>Months,</HI> ju&s;t at the Ce&s;&s;ation of the <HI>Chri&s;tian Imperiali&s;m</HI> can be made than is now made by this la&s;t Addition.</P>
<P>But becau&s;e it may be &s;aid, the Name of <HI>Pope</HI> is no Kingly or <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Object."> Imperial Name, It &s;eems to overthrow the whole Frame laid.</P>
<P>It is Admirable, the Care <HI>Prophecy</HI> hath taken to tell us; The <MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;wer."> <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> of the <HI>Roman Idolatrous Empire,</HI> is continu'd in Life, and is <HI>healed of his deadly Wound</HI> by <HI>making an Image to Him,</HI> who is the <HI>Seventh Head</HI> and <HI>Eighth King.</HI> The <HI>Papacy</HI> is not a real Mar|tial, Civil Sovereignty, but it is the <HI>Image</HI> only of One, It is yet neverthele&s;s Haughty, for it is <HI>Ador'd</HI> and <HI>Wor&s;hipped;</HI> It A&s;|&s;umes Power over Princes, and di&s;po&s;es Kingdoms, It is never|thele&s;s Cruel and Enforcive, for it <HI>Kills</HI> All who will not <HI>Wor|&s;hip</HI> that <HI>Image;</HI> It <HI>Cau&s;es All to receive its Mark,</HI> or pro&s;cribes them, how great or &s;mall &s;oever; It Arrogates not only a Crown, but a <HI>Tripple Crown;</HI> This <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> in an <HI>Image</HI> is therefore the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> that <HI>is not, yet is,</HI> viz. is not the <HI>&s;ame,</HI> yet <HI>the &s;ame,</HI> the <HI>&s;ame</HI> in Real Power, yet in an <HI>Image</HI> too, <HI>viz. Spirituality</HI> of <HI>Power</HI> is an <HI>Image</HI> of <HI>Power;</HI> but enforcing that <HI>Power</HI> by its <HI>Horns,</HI> it is a Real <HI>Power,</HI> and &s;o Is not yet, <HI>I&s;.</HI> c. 17. 8.</P>
<P>But It may be &s;aid, it was long er'e the&s;e <HI>Kings</HI> gave their <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Object."> <HI>Power</HI> thus to the <HI>Bea&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>It is mo&s;t true, it was &s;o, even as It was er'e He came to his <MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;wer."> <HI>Number.</HI> For therefore <HI>Prophecy</HI> &s;ets this <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> in View, Ri&s;ing with his <HI>Ten Crowned Horns,</HI> fir&s;t out of <HI>the Sea,</HI> tho&s;e Trouble|&s;ome Commotions in the World, when <HI>Rome Fell,</HI> as a <HI>Burning Mountain</HI> into the <HI>Sea.</HI> But at the Ri&s;ing of this <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> out of the
<PB N="30" REF="23"> <HI>Bottomle&s;s Pit,</HI> whither He went down, when He became a <HI>Fal|len Star,</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">When <HI>Phocas</HI> gave Him the Title of <HI>&V;niver|&s;al, An.</HI> 606.</NOTE> with the <HI>Key of it</HI> to <HI>Open it,</HI> and <HI>A&s;cended,</HI> Rev. 9. 1, 2. Then did He <HI>Receive the Kingdom,</HI> and <HI>Power</HI> of the&s;e <HI>Horns,</HI> till He <HI>goes into Perdition.</HI> For the once noting Him to <HI>Ri&s;e out of the Sea,</HI> and Twice to <HI>A&s;cend from the Bottomle&s;s Pit</HI> &s;hews, He had a double Ri&s;ing, One by way of meer Providence, as out of the tumultuous Sea of worldly Affairs, that nece&s;&s;itated the <HI>Emperour</HI> to abdicate <HI>Empire,</HI> and to leave Him the only Name of Supreme Eminency in <HI>Rome,</HI> but then He <HI>was not;</HI> till after, as an <HI>An|tichri&s;tian, Fal&s;e, Spiritual Power,</HI> or <HI>Vicar</HI> of Chri&s;t, He a&s;&s;um'd a Kingdom, an Univer&s;al Kingdom, as having the <HI>Keys of Eter|nal Damnation</HI> in his Hand, <HI>viz.</HI> of the <HI>Bottomle&s;s Pit.</HI></P>
<P>If the <HI>Pope</HI> be an <HI>Eighth King,</HI> a <HI>Roman</HI> Supreme Power, and the <HI>Head,</HI> to whom the <HI>Ten Kings</HI> give their <HI>Power,</HI> Why is it <MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="Object."> not then Lawful to acknowledge Him; as the <HI>Roman Cae&s;ar</HI> was to be acknowledg'd by Chri&s;t's own Command; and as the <HI>Crown|ed Horns,</HI> or <HI>Ten Kings</HI> are to be acknowledg'd, who give Him <HI>their Kingdom</HI> and <HI>Power.</HI></P>
<P>No Kings, or Powers may be acknowledg'd in their <HI>Idolatrous</HI> <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="An&s;w."> or <HI>Super&s;titious</HI> Commands: No <HI>Cae&s;ars,</HI> no Kings, and much more no <HI>Popes</HI> can be &s;o Obey'd.</P>
<P N="2">2. But upon this very Account He ought not at all to be ac|knowledg'd, becau&s;e He is a <HI>King</HI> only in an <HI>Image,</HI> and in reali|ty a <HI>Fallen Star,</HI> a Corrupted, <HI>Antichri&s;tian, Fal&s;e, Spiritual Power,</HI> Undermining and U&s;urping the Kingdom of Chri&s;t; and &s;o to be abhorr'd and dete&s;ted, and his Adulterous <HI>Idolatrous Church or City</HI> to be &s;eparated from, and to be <HI>Come out of.</HI></P>
<P>And thus I have, I Tru&s;t, evinc'd the Settlement of the <HI>Epoch,</HI> or <HI>Beginning</HI> of the&s;e <HI>Fourty Two Months,</HI> both by the <HI>Prophecy,</HI> and by the Event; and come now to fix the latter Branch, or what <HI>Prophecy</HI> hath determin'd concerning the End or Period of the&s;e <HI>Months,</HI> although that cannot be declar'd in the Particu|lars, or manner of the Event, but mu&s;t be waited for till <HI>He</HI> &s;hall <HI>&s;hew</HI> them, who hath <HI>Re&s;erved them in his own power</HI> till their ap|pointed Sea&s;on.</P>
<P>But in the mean time He hath given us the Bulk of the Events, which at the end of the&s;e <HI>Months</HI> &s;hall be in their Mo|tion, and continual Progre&s;s, till all be Accompli&s;hed, and no <HI>Iota</HI> of the <HI>Prophecy Fall to the Ground.</HI></P>
<P>Now to make this Point as plain as <HI>Prophecy</HI> hath made it, It is to be con&s;ider'd in the two Grand Oracles that are given of
<PB N="31" REF="23"> it; and Relate to the very End of the <HI>Twelve hundred &s;ixty Days,</HI> and &s;o con&s;equently to the End of the <HI>Months;</HI> or to the End of the <HI>Months</HI> them&s;elves implying the End of the 1260 Days.</P>
<P>As to the End then of the <HI>Twelve hundred &s;ixty Days</HI> &s;ince the <HI>Witne&s;&s;es</HI> are to be in <HI>Sackcloth</HI> during them, whenever the <HI>Wit|ne&s;&s;es</HI> come into a &s;plendid State, It is certain, They can be no longer in <HI>Sackcloth;</HI> For &s;uch a State, and &s;uch a <HI>Sackcloth</HI> can by no po&s;&s;ible means Agree. And then it will as certainly follow, the <HI>Twelve hundred &s;ixty Days</HI> are at an End, when they change their <HI>Sackcloth</HI> for <HI>Garments of Prai&s;e.</HI> For all tho&s;e <HI>Twelve hun|dred &s;ixty Days</HI> they are to be in <HI>Sackcloth:</HI> Although therefore the <HI>Prophecy</HI> does not po&s;itively &s;ay, the <HI>Twelve hundred &s;ixty Days</HI> are at an End, yet in that It &s;ays they were <HI>Called up to Hea|ven in a Cloud,</HI> and their <HI>Enemies beheld Them;</HI> It mu&s;t needs be that the <HI>Sackcloth</HI> mu&s;t be dropp'd when they are Chariotted in a <HI>Cloud,</HI> and <HI>A&s;cend;</HI> and &s;o then It does by nece&s;&s;ary Implicati|on &s;ay, that the <HI>Twelve hundred &s;ixty Days</HI> are at an End; For el&s;e the <HI>Witne&s;&s;es</HI> could not part with their <HI>Sackcloth,</HI> being deter|min'd to it for &s;o long; And &s;o long the <HI>Womans</HI> the <HI>Churches, Twelve hundred &s;ixty Days</HI> la&s;t; For as their Times are equal, &s;o their States Reciprocate.</P>
<P>When therefore the <HI>Twelve hundred &s;ixty Days</HI> are by Con&s;e|quence ab&s;olutely nece&s;&s;ary ended, the <HI>Fourty Two Months</HI> are wheeled along with them to their Period: And that affects the <HI>City,</HI> the <HI>Great, Spiritually called Sodom</HI> for <HI>the Filthine&s;s of its Forni|cations,</HI> and dreadful <HI>Burnings,</HI> that it is devoted to: And <HI>Aegypt,</HI> fir&s;t for its Oppre&s;&s;ion of the Saints, with who&s;e <HI>Blood</HI> it is Drunk; Then for the <HI>Plagues</HI> that will come upon it, and la&s;t|ly for its <HI>Pharaoh-like</HI> Principality, fir&s;t in the <HI>Pagan Dragon,</HI> and then its <HI>Draconick Pope,</HI> to whom the <HI>Dragon</HI> con&s;ign'd His <HI>Power:</HI> And to follow all the Emblems of the <HI>City,</HI> as on pur|po&s;e to bring it Home to <HI>Rome,</HI> It it both Re&s;embled to the <HI>City, where our Lord was Crucified,</HI> &s;ignifying its <HI>Whoredom</HI> to be like the <HI>Whoredom</HI> of <HI>that Infamous Aholibah,</HI> or <HI>Jeru&s;alem, the Fal&s;e Whori&s;h Church,</HI> and under the Juri&s;diction of <HI>Rome</HI> &s;o much at that Time, that not without the mo&s;t Notorious Sen|tence of the <HI>Roman</HI> Judge, <HI>Pontius Pilate, Our Lord was Crucified,</HI> which was for the very Service of this <HI>Prophecy,</HI> &s;o particularly we may Believe Recorded, that in that Sen&s;e the very <HI>City Rome</HI> was the <HI>City,</HI> in which <HI>Our Lord was Crucified.</HI></P>
<PB N="32" REF="24">
<P>All this Affects this <HI>City,</HI> &s;o that its <HI>Tenth Falls;</HI> Now this <HI>City &s;its on the Bea&s;t,</HI> For to &s;hew it is the &s;ame <HI>City,</HI> that <HI>&s;its on the Bea&s;t,</HI> when the <HI>Beast,</HI> the very &s;ame <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> that <HI>A&s;cends out of the Bottomle&s;s Pit,</HI> c. 11. c. 17. <HI>Kills the Witne&s;&s;es;</HI> Their <HI>Dead Bodies lye in the Street of that Great City,</HI> which plainly joyns the <HI>Beast</HI> and the <HI>City</HI> together, the <HI>City,</HI> as the <HI>Imperial Re&s;idence,</HI> the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> as the <HI>King</HI> of it, as the <HI>Vi&s;ion</HI> of the c. 17. does; For He, as <HI>King,</HI> having Power of Life and Death, tho&s;e whom He <HI>Kills</HI> lye in the Street of his <HI>Great Emperial City:</HI> So then the <HI>City</HI> and the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> are here fir&s;t &s;o nearly conjoyn'd, and &s;o again, c. 17.</P>
<P>How then comes <HI>the Tenth of this Great City to Fall?</HI> (what|ever we under&s;tand by it, for I will not now di&s;pute that) How comes it to <HI>Fall,</HI> I &s;ay, when <HI>It &s;its on the Bea&s;t?</HI> It could not be, if the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> Him&s;elf did not Sink; and how could He Sink, if His <HI>Fourty two Months</HI> were not out; For &s;o long was given Him by <HI>Prophecy,</HI> which in another Character is call'd, <HI>Time, Times,</HI> and <HI>Half</HI> a <HI>Time,</HI> and as apply'd to the <HI>Witne&s;&s;es Three Days,</HI> and a <HI>Half,</HI> in Imitation of our <HI>Lord's three Days</HI> in the <HI>Grave;</HI> Till the Morning then of the <HI>Half Time</HI> and <HI>Day,</HI> there could be no &s;uch Alteration in his Kingdom, as the <HI>Reformation</HI> made, and till that Time of the <HI>Forty two Months</HI> fully exhau&s;ted, when the <HI>Twelve hundred &s;ixty Days End</HI> al&s;o, in the Ri&s;ing and Glory of the <HI>Witne&s;&s;es,</HI> There cannot be a <HI>Fall</HI> of the <HI>Tenth of the City,</HI> which He bears up the Grandeur of.</P>
<P>And to &s;hew farther that this <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> that <HI>Slays</HI> the <HI>Witne&s;&s;es,</HI> is the &s;ame with the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> c. 17. It is made known by that certain Mark of it, the <HI>A&s;cending out of the Bottomle&s;s Pit,</HI> and that we may know they are both the &s;ame with the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> who hath the <HI>Fourty two Months,</HI> c. 13. He <HI>makes War with the Saints,</HI> who are the <HI>Seed</HI> of <HI>the Woman,</HI> and <HI>Hold the Te&s;timony of Je&s;us,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>C.</HI> 12. <HI>&V;lt.</HI></NOTE> or are the <HI>Witne&s;&s;es,</HI> being thereunto Deputed by the <HI>Dragon,</HI> who gave <HI>him his Throne,</HI> and <HI>Great Authority;</HI> and He, that <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> is Taken, c. 19. as is foretold al&s;o, c. 13. <HI>He that leadeth into Captivity, &s;hall go into Captivity;</HI> And the <HI>Ten Kings who give him their Power,</HI> who make <HI>War with the Lamb,</HI> and <HI>He overcomes them,</HI> are <HI>Kill'd with the Sword of his Mouth,</HI> c. 19. as was fore|told, c. 13. <HI>He that killeth with the Sword &s;hall be killed with the Sword.</HI></P>
<P>All which farther A&s;&s;ure together, with what hath been &s;aid before; That It is <HI>one</HI> and the <HI>&s;ame Beast,</HI> throughout the <HI>Prophecy of the Revelation,</HI> viz. the <HI>Seventh Head of the Roman Em|pire,</HI>
<PB N="33" REF="24"> and its <HI>Eighth King,</HI> to whom the <HI>Ten Kings,</HI> as <HI>Horns give their Power.</HI></P>
<P>The &s;econd Oracle given us concerning the Period of the <HI>Forty two Months</HI> is c. 17. <HI>God hath put into the Heart</HI> of the <HI>Ten Kings</HI> to <HI>Do his Will,</HI> or <HI>execute his Determination,</HI> and to <HI>execute</HI> and <HI>perform One Determination untill the Words of God &s;hall be fulfilled:</HI> Now this <HI>Coun&s;el, Determination, and Will of God</HI> is that which is explain'd what it is, It is even that they &s;hould <HI>Give their Kingdom and Power to the Bea&s;t:</HI> And how long? <HI>&V;ntill the words of God &s;hall be fulfill'd.</HI> And Tho&s;e <HI>words</HI> were declar'd, c. 13. <HI>Authority was given to Him,</HI> as a <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> of <HI>Ten Horns,</HI> to <HI>continue Forty two Months:</HI> The great Event therefore at the End of the <HI>Forty two Months</HI> is, That then the <HI>Ten Kings</HI> &s;hall <HI>Hate the Whore,</HI> and <HI>make her De&s;olate, and naked, and &s;hall eat her fle&s;h, and burn her with Fire.</HI></P>
<P>From whence it is evident, how clo&s;e the Union is between the <HI>City</HI> call'd the <HI>Whore,</HI> and the <HI>Bea&s;t;</HI> For while the Kings <HI>give their Power to the Beast,</HI> they bear up the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> who bears up the <HI>City;</HI> while they <HI>fulfill</HI> the <HI>Decree of God for the Bea&s;ts Forty two Months, They are One in giving</HI> Him their <HI>Kingdom,</HI> and <HI>Power,</HI> and &s;o long <HI>They are drunk with the Wine of the Whores Fornication.</HI> But when tho&s;e <HI>Words are fulfill'd,</HI> and <HI>tho&s;e Forty Two Months,</HI> then <HI>They hate the Whore,</HI> and then this <HI>Tenth</HI> of the <HI>Great City Falls.</HI> viz. the whole Circle of the Power given by the&s;e <HI>Ten Horns,</HI> or <HI>Ten Kings,</HI> who now Recall their <HI>Power</HI> from the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> and that <HI>Tenthne&s;s</HI> of Power <HI>Falls</HI> al&s;o: For however the <HI>Grammar</HI> of the word <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> will not bear &s;uch an Expo&s;ition of it, as &s;hould &s;ignifie the <HI>Ten King'd Power,</HI> yet the <HI>Prophecy</HI> of <HI>Daniel</HI> in the Ten <HI>Toes of the Image,</HI> the <HI>Ten Horns of the Bea&s;t,</HI> and The whole Frame of the <HI>Prophecy</HI> of the <HI>Revelation</HI> con|cerning the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> his <HI>Ten Horns,</HI> or <HI>Ten Kings,</HI> does forcibly over-&s;way the nicety of <HI>Grammar,</HI> and carries the <HI>Prophecy</HI> to this Sen&s;e, and much the rather, becau&s;e as hath been argued; The <HI>Twelve hundred &s;ixty Days</HI> will be then ended, <HI>and the Words of God fulfilled,</HI> concerning the <HI>Be&s;tian Power,</HI> which lay &s;o much in its <HI>Horns</HI> or <HI>Ten Kings</HI> per&s;ecuting the <HI>Witne&s;&s;es.</HI></P>
<P>Let us now recollect the Summ of this Argument in the Proof it gives; The Argument runs thus, The <HI>Roman City</HI> or <HI>Church,</HI> &s;its <HI>on the Bea&s;t, or Eighth Kimg,</HI> who hath been in Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of the Time allotted him by <HI>Prophecy</HI> &s;o long, as from the <HI>Seventh other King,</HI> of a <HI>&s;hort &s;pace</HI> after the <HI>&s;ixth King,</HI> that was in the <HI>Apo&s;t. John's</HI> Time, till now within nine or ten Years of the Expiration of that Time, as a Time allowable to remain for the fulfilling of All Events, This is the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> or <HI>eighth King</HI> bearing up that <HI>Rome,</HI> whether <HI>City</HI> or <HI>Church,</HI> out of which <HI>Gods People are Called:</HI> But the pre&s;ent <HI>City</HI> or <HI>Church</HI> of
<PB N="34" REF="25"> <HI>Rome,</HI> &s;itting upon the <HI>Pope,</HI> is, and hath been in that Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion &s;o long.</P>
<P>That Time &s;o allotted is expre&s;ly &s;aid to be <HI>Fourty two Months,</HI> tho&s;e <HI>Months</HI> mu&s;t be <HI>Prophetical Months,</HI> or <HI>Days</HI> for <HI>Years;</HI> Tho&s;e <HI>Months</HI> mu&s;t be Time of the <HI>Moon,</HI> and not of the <HI>Sun.</HI></P>
<P>Tho&s;e <HI>Months</HI> being time of the <HI>Moon,</HI> given by <HI>Prophecy,</HI> mu&s;t be taken and applyed to time of the <HI>Sun,</HI> given by the &s;ame <HI>prophecy,</HI> that they may be rated, and known what time They contain.</P>
<P>According to the exacte&s;t Computation that can be made, <HI>Fourty two Months</HI> apply'd to <HI>Twelve hundred &s;ixty Days</HI> for <HI>Years</HI> mu&s;t be <HI>Twelve hundred twenty two Days</HI> for <HI>Years,</HI> that is, <HI>Twelve hundred twen|ty two Years.</HI></P>
<P>The <HI>Epoch</HI> or Beginning then of the&s;e <HI>Months,</HI> fixed at the Ce&s;&s;a|tion of the Chri&s;tian <HI>Emperour,</HI> the <HI>prophetical Seventh King,</HI> which was in the Year of our Lord 475, mu&s;t needs reach to the Year 1697.</P>
<P>The <HI>Twelve hundred &s;ixty Days,</HI> or <HI>Years,</HI> both of the <HI>Witne&s;&s;es</HI> and of the <HI>Woman,</HI> ending nece&s;&s;arily at the &s;ame time, (for the one can|not out-la&s;t the other) mu&s;t begin <HI>thirty eight Years</HI> before the <HI>Months,</HI> viz. 437.</P>
<P>But becau&s;e the <HI>Witne&s;&s;es</HI> could not be &s;uppo&s;ed to put on their <HI>Sackcloth,</HI> without ju&s;t Occa&s;ion given, the <HI>Gentiles</HI> under the other <HI>Bea&s;t, Treading the Holy Court,</HI> mu&s;t have begun their <HI>Fourty two Months,</HI> when the <HI>Twelve hundred &s;ixty Days</HI> of the <HI>Witne&s;&s;es Sackcloth,</HI> and the <HI>Womans Wilderne&s;s State</HI> began al&s;o, <HI>viz.</HI> 437.</P>
<P>It is no matter what became of the <HI>Gentiles Fourty two Months</HI> af|ter the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> fir&s;t Ri&s;en, and grown up to his <HI>Image,</HI> and Power to enforce the <HI>Wor&s;hip of it,</HI> and the receiving his <HI>Mark, Name,</HI> or of the Number of his <HI>Name,</HI> viz. at 725, his Famous 666. For then the <HI>Bea&s;ts Months</HI> &s;upport the <HI>Seventh Head&s;hip,</HI> and the <HI>Roman City,</HI> or <HI>Apo&s;tate Church,</HI> and the <HI>Gentiles Months</HI> Merge, or are drowned in them.</P>
<P>The <HI>Months</HI> and <HI>Days,</HI> being given under the Character of <HI>Time, Times</HI> and <HI>Half a Time,</HI> and <HI>three Days</HI> and a <HI>half,</HI> when they arrived to the Beginning of the <HI>half Time,</HI> and <HI>Days,</HI> &s;uch a partial Ri&s;ing of the <HI>Witne&s;&s;es,</HI> and Retrenchment of the <HI>Be&s;tian Kingdom,</HI> &s;uch a Fall of &s;ome of the <HI>Ten Kings</HI> from the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> as was &s;een at the <HI>Reformati|on,</HI> was allowable by <HI>Prophecy,</HI> after the manner of our <HI>Lord's three Days</HI> and <HI>Nights</HI> in the <HI>Heart of the Earth,</HI> and was a Pledge of the complete <HI>Fall</HI> of the <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> and of the <HI>City's Fall</HI> from their whole <HI>Ten</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mark: tho&s;e Kings who bewayl <HI>Ba|bylon,</HI> c. 18. 9. cannot be tho&s;e <HI>Ten Kings,</HI> who at la&s;t Turn to <HI>hate the Whore,</HI> who they are, will not be known till that <HI>Burning</HI> of <HI>Babylon</HI> &s;hall be better un|der&s;tood.</NOTE> <HI>King'd</HI> Principality, at the end of the <HI>half Time,</HI> or 1697.</P>
<P>At the &s;ame time, when the <HI>Days</HI> of the <HI>Witne&s;&s;es,</HI> and the <HI>Months</HI> of the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> End; The <HI>Turki&s;h Second Woe</HI> or <HI>Tyranny</HI> &s;hall pa&s;s away, and cannot &s;ooner, becau&s;e it is the <HI>Second Woe Trumpet</HI> upon the <HI>Be|&s;tian</HI>
<PB N="35" REF="25"> Kingdom, la&s;ting till its <HI>Fourty two Months</HI> End; Which being an Ob&s;ervation foreign to this Matter, needs not be enlarged, yet well ob&s;erv'd adds &s;trength to the whole.</P>
<P>The la&s;t Argument I &s;hall u&s;e to perfect all that hath been &s;aid al|ready, <NOTE PLACE="marg">La&s;t Arg.</NOTE> &s;hall be an Appeal to All that in any degree know the State of the World, whether the Condition of <HI>Papal Rome,</HI> &s;ince the time e&s;pecially of the <HI>Bea&s;ts receiving the Key of the Bottomle&s;s Pit,</HI> as a <HI>Fal|len Star</HI> in the Days of <HI>Phocas,</HI> his coming to his <HI>Number,</HI> and <HI>Image</HI> in the days of <HI>Leo Conon</HI> hath not an&s;wer'd the Characters of <HI>Prophecy.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ann.</HI> 725.</NOTE></P>
<P>Does the <HI>Prophecy</HI> &s;ignifie a <HI>City,</HI> perpetuating <HI>Eternal Rome</HI> in a <HI>Church</HI> as Fal&s;e, Impure, and <HI>Adulterate,</HI> as the <HI>Mother of Harlots</HI> Im|ports; Which Title cannot be due in its highe&s;t degree, but where True Religion is Pro&s;tituted, as appears in <HI>Aholiab and Aholibah:</HI> And hath not <HI>Rome</HI> been &s;uch a One as <HI>Papal,</HI> in all its Idolatrys, Super|&s;titions, and Sen&s;ualities?</P>
<P>Does the <HI>Prophecy</HI> Repre&s;ent a <HI>Cae&s;ar</HI> in an <HI>Image,</HI> and hath not the <HI>Pope's Tripple Crown</HI> elevated upon his <HI>Spirituality</HI> and <HI>Vicar&s;hip</HI> of Chri&s;t been &s;uch a One?</P>
<P>Does the <HI>Prophecy</HI> &s;peak <HI>Rome</HI> in all the Grandeur of <HI>Scarlet, Pur|ple,</HI> and <HI>precious Stones,</HI> And is not the Splendor of <HI>Rome,</HI> its <HI>Pope, Cardinals,</HI> and <HI>Hierarchy &s;uch?</HI></P>
<P>Does the <HI>Prophecy</HI> &s;et out an Univer&s;al Propagation of the <HI>Fornica|tions</HI> of &s;uch an <HI>Imperious, Whori&s;h Woman,</HI> prevailing upon <HI>Kings, Nations, Kindreds,</HI> and <HI>Languages;</HI> and what hath <HI>Papal Rome</HI> preten|ded more forcibly to than &s;uch an <HI>&V;niver&s;ality</HI> of its Religion, which is called <HI>Filthine&s;s,</HI> Spiritual and Bodily, and All <HI>Abomination?</HI></P>
<P>Does <HI>Prophecy</HI> &s;et out the <HI>Idolatrys</HI> of &s;uch a <HI>City</HI> and its <HI>Prince</HI> by the <HI>Bla&s;phemy</HI> of <HI>God,</HI> of <HI>his Tabernacle,</HI> of <HI>All that dwell in Heaven,</HI> and this openly avow'd by a Title <HI>writ on her Forehead,</HI> according to the manner of the mo&s;t Infamous Pro&s;titutes, and of <HI>Babylon</HI> Mad of <HI>Gra|ven Images,</HI> and yet all under a My&s;tery, So as to be doubted whe|ther <HI>Idolatry</HI> is ju&s;tly charged upon it by even Tho&s;e, who deeply &s;u&s;pect it? And is not this, and hath not this been the State of <HI>Rome</HI> mo&s;t Remarkably &s;ince the Days of <HI>Leo Conon?</HI></P>
<P>Does the <HI>prophecy</HI> Repre&s;ent a <HI>Be&s;tian War</HI> with the Saints, a <HI>Cau&s;ing,</HI> that all who <HI>would not Wor&s;hip the Image,</HI> &s;hould be <HI>Kill'd;</HI> and pro|&s;cribing them that they &s;hould not <HI>Buy nor Sell; All, Great and Small, Rich and poor,</HI> who will not <HI>receive the Mark,</HI> &amp;c? a <HI>City Drunk with the Blood of Saints?</HI> and what can we &s;ay, but that the <HI>Excommunication</HI> of <HI>Princes,</HI> depo&s;ing and Depriving them, the <HI>Interdicting</HI> of <HI>Kingdoms, Ma&s;&s;acres, Martyrdoms, Inqui&s;itions,</HI> Ravages upon the World on the account of that Religion, Fal&s;ly &s;o call'd, have an&s;wer'd the <HI>prophecy?</HI></P>
<PB N="36" REF="26">
<P>Do other <HI>prophecys</HI> of Scripture &s;ay, there &s;hould be a Grand <HI>Apo|&s;ta&s;ie,</HI> out of which &s;hould come a <HI>Man of Sin,</HI> and <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, one above all Law and Control, as Supreme, and Infallible, ju&s;tly &s;tyl'd a <HI>Bea&s;t, One &s;itting in the Temple of God, exalting Him&s;elf above All that is called God</HI> or is <HI>Wor&s;hipped?</HI> That though the <HI>My&s;tery</HI> of <HI>Iniquity</HI> was then at <HI>Work</HI> for Him, yet that He could not be <HI>Revealed,</HI> but in his <HI>Sea&s;on;</HI> Do we not &s;ee &s;uch a One, that hath been long in the World, claiming from the <HI>Apo&s;tles,</HI> whom yet the elder Ages of Chri&s;tianity knew not, till the Time pointed out by <HI>Prophecy</HI> was come, <HI>A Lord God the Pope,</HI> as hath been <HI>Bla&s;phem'd?</HI></P>
<P>Does that &s;ame <HI>prophecy</HI> &s;ay, The <HI>Lord</HI> will <HI>Con&s;ume that Man of Sin</HI> with the <HI>Glory of his Coming,</HI> and with the <HI>Brightne&s;s of his own Appea|rance;</HI> And do we not &s;ee at this Day his Times drawn out, and lengthen'd beyond parallel for &s;uch an <HI>Appearance?</HI> And does not the <HI>prophecy</HI> of the <HI>Revelation</HI> &s;ay the &s;ame Thing? For his <HI>utter De&s;tructi|on is not,</HI> till the <HI>Heavens open to Chri&s;t,</HI> Revel. 19.</P>
<P>Does not another <HI>Prophecy</HI> &s;ay? <HI>Some,</HI> a certain <HI>Sort,</HI> and <HI>Society</HI> or <HI>Community</HI> of Men &s;hall <HI>Depart</HI> or <HI>Apo&s;tatize</HI> from the <HI>Faith,</HI> giving heed to <HI>wandring Spirits</HI> as <HI>Divels</HI> are called, and to their Apparitions, and &s;o to <HI>Doctrines of them</HI> as <HI>Daimons,</HI> and of the <HI>Wor&s;hip of them,</HI> through <NOTE PLACE="marg">Or Saints departed.</NOTE> the <HI>Hypocri&s;ie</HI> of <HI>Lyars,</HI> and <HI>Legendary Prie&s;ts,</HI> who di&s;gui&s;ing them|&s;elves in the Garb of extraordinary Holy Per&s;ons Coyn &s;uch Sto|ries of &s;uch <HI>Spirits</HI> appearing to them, to draw others to Wor&s;hip them, having in the mean time their <HI>Con&s;ciences &s;eared with a hot Iron,</HI> who&s;e Badges by which They are to be known are, <HI>Forbidding to Marry,</HI> and to <HI>Ab&s;tain from Meats,</HI> making the&s;e Things the Cogni|&s;ances of their Orders? And have we not &s;een this Scripture ful|filled?</P>
<P>Did not the <HI>Apo&s;tle John</HI> Foretel a <HI>Great Antichri&s;t,</HI> of which the <HI>Little Antichri&s;ts</HI> in his Days were but <HI>Forerunners;</HI> and did He not Fore&s;hew a great <HI>Idolatry</HI> coming upon the Chri&s;tian World, in De|rogation from the <HI>One Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> who is the <HI>True God and Eternal Life,</HI> on which account He makes it the Farewel of his <HI>Epi&s;tle, Lit|tle Children, keep your &s;elves from Idols. Amen.</HI> And have we not &s;een, that great <HI>Idolatry</HI> again&s;t the New Te&s;tament in the <HI>Invocation</HI> of <HI>Angels,</HI> of <HI>Saints,</HI> and above all of the <HI>Virgin Mary,</HI> as a plain Viola|tion of the <HI>One Mediator Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> Equal to the <HI>Idolatry</HI> again&s;t the <HI>One God,</HI> and the <HI>Wor&s;hip</HI> of Him, and that in all kinds of <HI>Imagery,</HI> and even in a piece of <HI>Bread?</HI></P>
<P>The&s;e certain Matters of Fact, and of daily Experiment joyn'd with the <HI>Prophecy</HI> cannot but give a <HI>Plerophory,</HI> a full mea&s;ure of A&s;|&s;urance; That this pre&s;ent <HI>Rome</HI> is that <HI>Community, City</HI> or <HI>Church,</HI> out of which we are call'd, if we would be the <HI>People of God.</HI></P>
<PB N="37" REF="26">
<P>Having now &s;o far demon&s;trated, that the <HI>City, Church,</HI> and <HI>Com|munity,</HI> out of which we are commanded to <HI>come</HI> is the very pre&s;ent <HI>Papal Rome,</HI> It remains that we enforce the Command it &s;elf to <HI>come out of it,</HI> by particular Inferences from it.</P>
<P>For hence It appears how nece&s;&s;ary It is for Chri&s;tians in general <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Infer."> to know, and to take notice, that there is &s;uch an <HI>Apo&s;tacy</HI> from Chri|&s;tian Religion, di&s;gui&s;ed under the Name of <HI>Catholick Chri&s;tianity,</HI> that hath concentred it &s;elf in <HI>Rome</HI> under the name of an <HI>&V;niver&s;al Church,</HI> and in &s;uch a <HI>Head</HI> of it as the <HI>Pope</HI> under the name of <HI>Head of the Church</HI> and <HI>Vicar of Chri&s;t:</HI> The <HI>Apo&s;tle</HI> not only &s;peaking <HI>Face to Face,</HI> Not only when with them, but by <HI>Epi&s;tle</HI> when at di&s;tance from them, writing to the <HI>The&s;&s;alonians,</HI> thought it a point of great Moment, and of deepe&s;t Intere&s;t to inform them of it, and to po&s;&s;e&s;s them of it, and in them all Chri&s;tians, Learned or Unlearned.</P>
<P>And the Love of God the <HI>Father</HI> gave the <HI>Revelation</HI> to Je&s;us Chri&s;t, to <HI>&s;hew it to his Servants</HI> as containing this, as One of the greate&s;t Points of it: <HI>viz.</HI> Concerning this <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie,</HI> the Seat and Re&s;idence of it, this Pro&s;tituted <HI>Church,</HI> and <HI>City,</HI> and the <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> the Prince of it, It can therefore be no &s;uch my&s;terious or unnece&s;&s;ary Doctrine, as It is generally &s;uppos'd, but hath its greate&s;t and mo&s;t Fundamental U&s;es.</P>
<P>That the true Chri&s;tianity may by the Compare be more known <MILESTONE N="1"> and under&s;tood in its true Beauty and Excellency, being a Pure, Solid, Even, Supreme Extract, and Cube given from the Increated, Unerring Wi&s;dom of God in the <HI>Face of Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> Divine, Hea|venly, Spiritual, Pure and Cha&s;te, <HI>Full of Mercy,</HI> and of all <HI>good Fruits.</HI> But <HI>Popery</HI> is an Irregular, Odd, Traditional Chri&s;tianity, made up of <HI>Idolatrous,</HI> and Super&s;titious Rites, Pomp, Riches, and Plea&s;ures of Sen&s;uality, All of the pre&s;ent Evil World, full of Rage, Cruelty, and Blood, again&s;t All, who do not &s;wallow their mon|&s;trous <HI>Articles of Faith,</HI> and &s;ubmit to that &s;lavery of their <HI>Antichri|&s;tian Government:</HI> To keep men therefore wholly to that Excellent Rule of the Word of God in Doctrine, Wor&s;hip, and Practice, and under that mo&s;t merciful Di&s;cipline, it is nece&s;&s;ary to know the Goodne&s;s of the One by the Badne&s;s of the other.</P>
<P>That one Grand Rea&s;on of the &s;o &s;ad Imprevalency of &s;o excel|lent <MILESTONE N="2"> a Religion, as the Religion of Je&s;us Chri&s;t might be under|&s;tood; The great Eclip&s;e of it is by &s;o foul an <HI>Apo&s;tacy</HI> and <HI>My&s;tery of Iniquity,</HI> ca&s;ting &s;o black a &s;hade upon it, and &s;uch a Cloud of <HI>Tares</HI> upon the <HI>Field of Wheat;</HI> And this hath &s;o univer&s;ally ob&s;cured Chri|&s;tianity, and allay'd its Supreme Excellency, and turn'd it into &s;o worldly a Religion, that it neither hath nor can be Refin'd to it &s;elf, till that whole <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> be <HI>con&s;um'd</HI> out of the World, And then, but not till then, there will be another Face of Chri&s;tianity; And this is nece&s;&s;ary to be known to abate the <HI>Scandal.</HI></P>
<PB N="38" REF="27">
<P>That the dark Interpo&s;ition between the <HI>Kingdom</HI> of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, <MILESTONE N="3"> according to all the <HI>Prophecies</HI> of Scripture, due to him at his <HI>Re&s;ur|rection,</HI> and the glory of it, may be duely apprehended; For the <HI>My|stery of Iniquity work'd</HI> early, that it might ari&s;e to the <HI>taking</HI> away the true <HI>daily Sacrifice</HI> of Chri&s;tian Religion. and &s;cattering the <HI>power of the Holy People</HI> for <HI>Time, Times,</HI> and <HI>half a Time.</HI></P>
<P>Now this is mo&s;t nece&s;&s;ary to be known, to take off the Scandal of &s;o many Ma&s;&s;ive <HI>Prophecies</HI> and <HI>Promi&s;es</HI> as were to en&s;ue on the Kingdom of the <HI>Me&s;&s;iah,</HI> both in relation to the <HI>Jews,</HI> and to the whole World of Mankind, not yet come to pa&s;s; but we ought again&s;t it deeply to con&s;ider, There was to be <HI>forty two months</HI> of the <HI>Gentiles,</HI> and of the <HI>Beast</HI> running parallel to the <HI>twelve hundred &s;ixty days Sackcloth</HI> of the <HI>Witne&s;&s;es,</HI> and the <HI>Wilderne&s;s-state</HI> of the Church; all which was to be by the <HI>Fathers</HI> own Appointment, (who re&s;erv'd <HI>Times</HI> even as that <HI>Day</HI> and <HI>Hour</HI> in his own Cogni&s;ance or Right of Di&s;po&s;e) before the Kingdom of Chri&s;t, and the glorious Accom|pli&s;hment of the <HI>Prophecies,</HI> &s;uch as <HI>E&s;ay</HI> 2. 1. <HI>Zech.</HI> 14. with innu|merable more; which being &s;o peculiar to that Kingdom, cannot be adjourn'd to the <HI>Day of Judgment,</HI> as generally under&s;tood. For then Chri&s;t &s;hall <HI>render up the Kingdom to God</HI> and the <HI>Father,</HI> and <HI>God &s;hall be All in All.</HI></P>
<P>There ari&s;es in the wi&s;e Ordination of God a mutual Ju&s;tifieation <MILESTONE N="4"> of the <HI>Prophecy</HI> by the Separation from <HI>Rome</HI> upon the general Prin|ciples and Rules of the Word of God, without clo&s;e, and &s;trict, and expre&s;s Attendance to the <HI>Prophecy,</HI> or deriving Directions from that; for how is the <HI>Prophecy</HI> honour'd and vindicated in command|ing to <HI>Come out</HI> of <HI>that City</HI> and <HI>Church,</HI> which Holy, Wi&s;e, and Con|&s;cientious Chri&s;tians &s;ee Rea&s;on and ju&s;t Grounds, from its extream Pollutions in Doctrine, Wor&s;hip, and Practice, and the Imperiou&s;|ne&s;s of its Tyranny, to come out from, although they did not un|der&s;tand <HI>Prephecy</HI> &s;o commanding them? And how could <HI>Prophecy</HI> be either under&s;tood or fulfill'd, if Things were not &s;o bad upon &s;uch Fundamental Accounts? How could it be verified that <HI>Prophecy</HI> were &s;o to be interpreted, if there were not &s;o great Rea&s;ons for <HI>Coming out,</HI> &s;uppo&s;ing there had been no &s;uch Prophecy?</P>
<P>On the other &s;ide, How is the Separation ju&s;tified by the <HI>Prophecy</HI> thus rightly expounded and interpreted! For who might not &s;cru|ple, that &s;o great and &s;o long an <HI>Apo&s;tacy</HI> &s;hould grow up out of the Profe&s;&s;ion of Chri&s;tianity, and that the <HI>Prophecy</HI> of the <HI>New Te&s;tament</HI> &s;hould not have &s;een and foretold it? So that it were, without this Rea&s;on al&s;o, hardly to be believed with that firmne&s;s and full A&s;&s;u|rance that now it is; <HI>viz.</HI> that &s;uch an <HI>Apo&s;tacy</HI> is.</P>
<P>And why &s;hould there be no ea&s;ier a Remedy, might men &s;ay, than a <HI>Separation,</HI> &s;o &s;olemn and avowed a <HI>Separation,</HI> if there were
<PB N="39" REF="27"> not the Grand Prejudice again&s;t &s;o guilty a Community, that <HI>Pro|phecy</HI> hath long ago pa&s;s'd upon it? There ought at lea&s;t to be all means of Reconciliation perpetually us'd. And who could believe they &s;hould be &s;o long, after &s;o many Debates, ineffectual, if there had not been a <HI>Prophecy</HI> commanding the People of God to <HI>come out</HI> of it, and not to expect its Repentance? So that either it would not have been &s;o bad, as to nece&s;&s;itate &s;uch a <HI>Separation,</HI> or we may be certain, there is <HI>Prophecy</HI> concerning it: Such a <HI>Prophecy,</HI> and &s;uch an <HI>Apo&s;tacy,</HI> undoubtedly belong to, and interlock one within another.</P>
<P>La&s;tly, what greater or better Determination of the&s;e everla&s;ting Di&s;putes, than to &s;eek into Divine <HI>Prophecy,</HI> and to find them determin'd and decided &s;o long ago by it, again&s;t that <HI>pro&s;tituted Church</HI> and <HI>my&s;tical City,</HI> and on the &s;ide of the <HI>Separation?</HI> This certainly in the nature of the Thing mu&s;t &s;urer and more &s;peedily make an end of Contro|ver&s;ie, than tho&s;e endle&s;s Combatings out of <HI>Antiquity;</HI> for when all the Incertainties of the ways of Di&s;cour&s;e among the Ancients, may leave us in an Amaze, and bewildred, the <HI>Te&s;timonies of God are &s;ure.</HI> Again, Tho&s;e <HI>Ancients</HI> might be deceived as Men, but the <HI>Rightou&s;ne&s;s</HI> of Divine Oracles is <HI>Everla&s;ting:</HI> yea, how great Certainty do the&s;e <HI>Prophetick</HI> parts of Scripture give to the Expo&s;itions and Di&s;cour&s;es out of Doctrinal parts of Scrip|ture! And certainly, had God &s;tirr'd up the Spirits of the Reformed, by the mo&s;t indu|&s;trious <NOTE PLACE="marg">Indeed <HI>pro|phecy</HI> if not thus con|ceal'd, could not have been fulfill'd.</NOTE> Searches into the Word of God, to have conjoyn'd the one with the other, and to have be&s;tow'd that Time and Diligence in the Explication of <HI>Prophecy</HI> of Scripture, that they have done in Re&s;earches into the <HI>Ancients,</HI> the Controver&s;ie had been long ago at an end, and the <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> exploded. But God hath, in the deep ways of his Judgment, re&s;er|ved the lu&s;tre of <HI>open Prophecy</HI> to the Times nearer to the <HI>Kingdom</HI> and <HI>Coming</HI> of Chri&s;t, and the <HI>Brightne&s;s</HI> of his <HI>Appearance,</HI> that &s;o the <HI>Man of Sin May be con&s;um'd</HI> by it.</P>
<P>Hereby ari&s;es a Judgment upon other <HI>Prophe&s;ies</HI> of Scripture, that re&s;pect this Grand <HI>Apo&s;tacy,</HI> as that of the <HI>Apostle John's Spirit of Antichri&s;t,</HI> and <HI>The Antichri&s;t.</HI> For whatever <MILESTONE N="5"> Community, or City, under the Name of a Church, is continually <HI>&s;aying Who &s;hall go up</HI> to <HI>Heaven,</HI> as to other <HI>Mediators</HI> be&s;ides the <HI>One Mediator, Brings down Chri&s;t from Above,</HI> as if He had not <HI>A&s;cended,</HI> or were not <HI>Set down</HI> on the <HI>Right Hand of God to make Inter|ce&s;&s;ion for us.</HI> And when the &s;ame <HI>Fal&s;e Church</HI> is continually <HI>Saying: Who &s;hall de&s;cend in|to the Deep of Purgatory</HI> by tho&s;e many <HI>Sacrifices</HI> and ways of <HI>Propitiation,</HI> This is to <HI>bring up Chri&s;t</HI> from the <HI>Dead,</HI> as if He Him&s;elf had not made a <HI>perfect Sacrifice, Once for all,</HI> All which are a perfect <HI>Denial</HI> that <HI>Christ is come in the Fle&s;h,</HI> and an <HI>Antichri&s;t</HI> in ma|ny regards wor&s;e then <HI>Judai&s;m,</HI> and always branded as <HI>Heatheani&s;m</HI> in the <HI>Prophecy,</HI> and the very wor&s;t of Heatheni&s;m.</P>
<P>This <HI>Prophecy,</HI> rightly under&s;tood, would expound to us that whole <HI>prophetical</HI> Chapter 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3. tho&s;e Predictions of our Saviour concerning the <HI>Signs of his coming</HI> and of the <HI>End of the World,</HI> Tho&s;e three My&s;tical Cities, <HI>Sodom, Samaria,</HI> and <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> that are ne|ver to be recover'd: that <HI>Edom,</HI> the <HI>Border of wickedne&s;s, again&s;t which God hath indigna|tion for ever.</HI> It would expound to us that Di&s;cour&s;e of the Apo&s;tle again&s;t any <HI>Church</HI> being &s;o wi&s;e in its own conceit, as to think it &s;elf perfect till the <HI>Calling</HI> and <HI>Conver|&s;ion of the Jews;</HI> Tho&s;e dreadful Menaces on the then truly <HI>Famous, Roman, Chri&s;ti|an Church</HI> of its being <HI>Cut off,</HI> and that more irrecoverably than the <HI>Jews,</HI> who &s;hall be <HI>gra&s;&s;ed in again</HI> e're the end of the World, into their <HI>own Olive,</HI> But it is beyond my Inten|tion to ingage further into the&s;e Things, and it is enough to give only Intimations of them.</P>
<P>It &s;hews us the Care God hath taken of his Servants in all Times, &s;ince the fir&s;t <HI>working</HI> <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Inference"> of the <HI>My&s;tery</HI> of <HI>Iniquity</HI> to pre&s;erve them out of the <HI>Midst</HI> of this <HI>Congregation,</HI> and <HI>A&s;&s;em|bly of the Dead,</HI> the&s;e <HI>Deeps of Hell,</HI> the <HI>Damnation</HI> of tho&s;e who are given up to the <HI>strong Delu&s;ions of Believing &s;o horrible a Lye</HI> upon Chri&s;tianity, as <HI>Popery</HI> is, who peri&s;h in not <HI>Re|ceiving</HI> the <HI>Truth in the Love of it,</HI> Who <HI>Believ'd not</HI> the <HI>Truth,</HI> but had <HI>Plea&s;ure</HI> in the <HI>Decei|vablene&s;s</HI> of <HI>&V;nrighteou&s;ne&s;s; who&s;e names are not written in the Lambs Book of Life from the Foun|dation</HI>
<PB N="40" REF="28"> <HI>of the World, Who are led away with the Errors of the Wicked.</HI> God hath graci|ou&s;ly <HI>Sealed</HI> his own Servants, whom he hath cho&s;en to <HI>Sanctification of the Spirit and be|lief of Truth,</HI> who are not <HI>wandring Stars falling from their own Stedfa&s;tne&s;s,</HI> but fix'd by Grace, as the <HI>Wi&s;e,</HI> who &s;hall <HI>&s;hine as the Firmament,</HI> and as the <HI>Stars for Ever;</HI> let us there|fore Con&s;ider the &s;everal Methods of the Grace of God herein; and the various degrees of it according to the variety of Times, and of the various Temptations upon them to Se|duction: All which have been &s;o many <HI>Comings out of his People</HI> from this <HI>Babylon.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. That which hath been Univer&s;al to all his Saints and Servants hath been the Inga|ging them to <HI>stand fa&s;t in the Traditions;</HI> The True &s;incere <HI>Traditions</HI> of the Go&s;pel of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, fir&s;t in the immediate word of the <HI>Apostles</HI> Preaching by the <HI>Holy Gho&s;t &s;ent from Heaven,</HI> and then <HI>Sealed</HI> in Scripture, without taking from or adding thereto in Doctrine, Wor&s;hip, Practi&s;e, or Government.</P>
<P N="2">2. When this Apo&s;ta&s;ie was ri&s;en &s;o High, that the <HI>Gentiles</HI> were come to their <HI>Forty two Months,</HI> His Servants were &s;o ob&s;ervant of it, that they immediately <HI>put on their Sack|cloth,</HI> and <HI>Prophecied</HI> in it again&s;t the <HI>Aposta&s;ie,</HI> and when the <HI>Apo&s;ta&s;ie</HI> ro&s;e higher, and <NOTE PLACE="marg">This was preci&s;ely their Te|&s;timony; <HI>Fini&s;h'd</HI> be|fore their <HI>prophecy</HI> ends. <HI>Rev.</HI> 11. 7.</NOTE> became a <HI>Throne of Satan,</HI> the <HI>Pope</HI> became a <HI>Balam,</HI> an exalted <HI>Fal&s;e Prophet,</HI> yet they did not <HI>Deny the Name of Chri&s;t</HI> but <HI>held fa&s;t his Name:</HI> Even in the time when <HI>Anti|pas,</HI> or the <HI>Anti-Papal Martyrs</HI> were <HI>&s;lain:</HI> Although in the mean time They might not be wholly free from &s;ome of the &s;hade of that <HI>Doctrine,</HI> on which account, It is &s;aid, They had tho&s;e, who <HI>held the Doctrine of Balam,</HI> and are call'd the <HI>Church of Pergamus,</HI> that High <HI>Tow'ring Church,</HI> that was then a&s;piring higher and higher; The&s;e <HI>Witne&s;&s;es</HI> were retired out of it while in the mid&s;t of all that Corruption, and they <HI>Fed</HI> on <HI>hidden Manna,</HI> and were &s;atisfied with the <HI>Ab&s;olution</HI> of <HI>the White Stone</HI> peculiar to them&s;elves, which all the World Damn'd for <HI>Hereticks,</HI> which &s;hewed they were retired form <HI>Rome,</HI> and call'd by its Name as if of that <HI>Church,</HI> although thus gently cen&s;ur'd.</P>
<P N="3">3. When this <HI>City</HI> was become <HI>Jezebel,</HI> the <HI>Mother of Harlots,</HI> under the Name of a <HI>Church,</HI> and that the <HI>Witne&s;&s;es</HI> of Chri&s;t were <HI>&s;lain</HI> by her, and her <HI>Prince,</HI> that had &s;old <HI>Him&s;elf to Work Wickedne&s;s</HI> before the <HI>Lord,</HI> They then declar'd again&s;t it, as &s;uch a Pain|ted Pro&s;titute, and &s;eparated from it, though they were encompa&s;s'd with it as with Ly|ons, <HI>and Men &s;et on fire with Rage,</HI> to Burn them Alive, and were forced to &s;uffer this <HI>Fal&s;e Church,</HI> while they were come out &s;o far, as not to <HI>have</HI> nor <HI>had</HI> it in the Account, and Re|putation of a <HI>Church;</HI> and yet in &s;ignification of being in the mid&s;t of it, are called <HI>Thy|atyra,</HI> One of its Names.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>The Churches of the Reformation</HI> made not only an avow'd <HI>Separation</HI> from it, by Coming out of it, but by Laws and Sanctions, prohibited the <HI>Super&s;titions</HI> and <HI>Idolatrys</HI> of it, and of its Prince; who ought to be under this Two-fold Caution: as the Church of <HI>Sar|dis</HI> is Admoni&s;h'd, and They under it.</P>
<P N="1">1. Of pur&s;uing the <HI>Reformation</HI> to the utmo&s;t according to the Highe&s;t Spirit, and Tru|e&s;t Perfection of it being el&s;e in Danger of being Reprov'd for not having their <HI>Garments Pure and undefiled,</HI> nor their Works <HI>filled up before God</HI> in a perfect <HI>Coming Out.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Of not receiving back into a Sufferance or Toleration the open, bare-fac'd, avow'd Sins of <HI>Spiritual Sodom,</HI> and its Impurities, &s;eeing the Providence of God hath &s;o far deliver'd them, le&s;t Many Return as a <HI>Dog to the Vomit,</HI> and have Complacency in what was ca&s;t out with Dete&s;tation by a Nation and Church.</P>
<P N="5">5. But whereas the&s;e Things have not yet been done by the Servants of God &s;o avow|edly under the Banner of this <HI>Prophecy,</HI> when the <HI>Bea&s;t's Forty Two Months</HI> are out; There &s;hall be more Solemn <HI>Voices,</HI> that <HI>Babylon is Fallen, is Fallen,</HI> and if any Man continue to <HI>Wor&s;hip the Bea&s;t,</HI> &amp;c. He <HI>&s;hall Drink of the Wine of the Wrath of God without mixture,</HI> That All may <HI>Come Out</HI> and <HI>Reform.</HI></P>
<P N="9">9. When the <HI>Vials</HI> are about to be <HI>powred out,</HI> as the <HI>Plagues of Aegypt,</HI> and <HI>Fire from Heaven</HI> upon <HI>this Spiritual Sodom</HI> and <HI>Aegypt,</HI> there may be &s;ome <HI>Romanists</HI> in it, who per|tain to the <HI>Election</HI> of <HI>Grace,</HI> on whom the <HI>Lord</HI> being <HI>Merciful</HI> to them, He lays hold and pulls them as Brands out of the Burning, and even forces them to <HI>come Out,</HI> as of old He pull'd <HI>Lot</HI> out of <HI>Sodom</HI> that very Moment, and with a Holy Violence of Grace to them, Re&s;cues them from the Flames. After that <HI>Time</HI> He that is <HI>Filthy</HI> &s;hall be <HI>Filthy</HI> &s;till, He that is <HI>&V;nju&s;t</HI> &s;hall be <HI>unju&s;t</HI> &s;till, But He that is <HI>Justified</HI> from that <HI>Aposta&s;ie</HI> &s;hall be for ever <HI>justified</HI> from it. After that time there is neither <HI>Reformation</HI> nor <HI>Aposta&s;ie.</HI></P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
