time Chap. 17. 12. And the severall Kingdomes that then were broken off from the Roman Empire whereof England was one they were so many severall Kings that all gave their dominion to the Beast with one consent and so were his protectors ver 17. They were his Beauty and his Strength as the Hornes are to the Beast So it is true here is a great Beast indeed of a vast comprehension here is an universall visible Church and he hath seven Heads that is Seven Hilles there he sits and seven Governments There are seven Heads both of the one and other both Hills and Governments whereof five were fallen and the sixth was when John wrote The seventh was to rise in their roomes and that is He that hath two Hornes like a Lambe and spake like a Dragon and doth exercise all the Power of the first Beast what power is in the Church the Pope hath the ordering thereof And it is said here that these Hornes had ten Crowns but so had not the Hornes of Pagan Rome The heads of Pagan Rome had soveraign Authority and lived like Princes but so had not the Pope they did not wear the Crowns though they affect temporall dominion but leave the Crowns to the hornes leave them to Crowned Kings that give their power to him Now upon these Heads are names of Blasphemy The old High-Priest of the Jewish Synagogue he had a plate of pure Gold and there was graven upon it holiness to the Lord Exod. 28. 36 37. This Beast hath not holinesse to the Lord but names of Blasphemy the Pontifex maximus His head is full of names of Blasphemy But the Pope exceeds all in this case for who ever took upon him as he to pardon Sinne A name of Blasphemy To be Judge of Scriptures a name of blasphemy Hee hath many other names of Blasphemy he will dispence with Oaths of allegeance and all civil subjection he will dispence with marriages most incestuous and doth exalt himself above all that is called God especially the Gods of the Earth His heads are full of names of Blasphemy as we shall come to speak God willing in the 5 and 6 verses Now it is said of this Beast he is like a shee Leopard It is in the 17 Chap. compared to a woman to shew that the Roman catholick visible Church is as fitly resembled by a woman as a she Panther such is this Beast Can a Leopard change his spots Jer. 13. 23. Is it not a State full of spots and the spots are not the spots of Gods people but spots of herisie and spots of Idolatry spots of Tyranny and great variety of all spots of Blasphemy To tell the spots of that Sea were ineeed to enter into a Sea of wickednesse which that Church abounds withall Can a Leopard change his spots This church they make account cannot erre so how should they change for they that cannot erre to what purpose should they change yet of a very sweet fragrant smel as they they perfume their Temples with incense and love to please ambitious minds and to fill covetous hearts they are sweet also and faire to voluptous spirits with their Brothel houses c. But for the Leopard Bear and Lyon I suppose there is speciall reference to them all In Dan. 7. 4 5 6. where he resembles the Monarch of Babell to a Lyon and the Monarch of Persia to a Bear and the Monarch of Greece to a Leopard There the Leopard is the last of the three here it is the first to shew a direct contrary course that this Beast takes in his rise to the old Monarchies Of the great Monarchies the first was a Lyon full of magnanimity the next was a Beare full of cruelty a Bear that devoures mucb flesh and the Leopard the spotted Beast comes after cruell as the former Now here the Leopard is first the whole shape is sweet and savoury other beasts would follow him by the smell and so this church seemes in the wole bulk sweet and savory to inveagle all unstable Soules But where he gets hold he layes his paw like a Beare presseth hard and holds fast and will not let goe Just like the Persian State they hold fast Never did any of the States last so long as the Papall State The Assyrian lasted long but yet did not continue above a thousand years but this is to continue 1260. dayes that is so many yeares in a great deal of Power and Authority And therefore as by subtilty he drawes others to him so them hee holds fast that it is marvellous hard to root out where he hath got hold you may cut off his head as it is in England but it is a wonder to see what paines there is to have the Government of Christ brought in and of the Beast cast out they will make so many Statutes in Parliament that you can have no wills confirmed nor Marriages made but by them nor no Parliments Acts passe but through their hands you have so many matters in the State depending on them that one would think it impossible ever to root them out you may take off the Beast his head you may thrust the Leopard out at windows but he will take hold with his feet that you shall have much ado to root him out The great profits and great preferments they sink deep in the hearts of carnall men And he hath a mouth like a Lyon How did the Lyon of Babell speak presumptuously what God is able to deliver you out of the firey furnace c. and he commands all that will not worship his Image should be cast into the fyery furnace Just such is the mouth of this Beast who so will not worship the Image of this Beast shall be killed in the 15 v. of this chapter So you see this is the Roman Catholick visible church And the Dragon gave this church power All that the Roman Emperor could doe before that doth the Catholick church that w ch the old Roman Emperor did by force of arms that doth the Roman Church by the power of Religion and conscience The Dragon gave him his power and Seat and great Authority And Satan will worke by the power of conscience making them believe that all must be subject to them He gave them his Seat what was the Seat of the old Roman Emperor It was Rome Satan gave that to the Beast There is his Seat and great Authority insomuch that all the world were deeply taken with the reverence they owe as to the Imperial mother City So to this soveraign mother Church their holy Father the Pope that was the head of that Church This is the plain description of this first Beast I canot proceed now to open the wounding of one of the heads of this Beast nor of the healing of that wound nor of his warre against the Saints I am the longer in this because the more clearly these things are opened the more fully will
Nations and that in so many Nations with Spirituall and Temporall Dominion carry all before him will it not be a Monster What a disproportion is this to the Churches of Christ and to the Officers thereof Not to speak of their other monstrous usurpations of the head of this Church but take the body as it is how they speak like a Lyon and hold fast when they get like a Beare and are spotted like a Leopard that they are nothing but hotch-potch and mingle-mangle If any man have understanding let him understand what kind of Church this is that is thus deciphered and described this visible Catholick Church For the Use It may first teach us the great and just reason which all Protestant Churches have to with-draw themselves from the fellowship of the Church of Rome from the Catholick visible Roman Church though they look at those that submit not to them as Schismaticks and Hereticks I pray you consider would they have us submit to this great beast would they have the Lambs of Christ for such are the Churches of Christ to submit to a Lyon Beare or Leopard Hath any Lamb in the world much lesse a Lamb of Christ so many Heads and Horns and such spots and such feeâ— and such a mouth Therefore I pray you consider it is not time for the Lambs of Christ and for all the Churches of Christ to flye off from this Monster and to abandon them utterly as having no part nor portion with such a beast as this Secondly let this be another Use it may teach us how Christian Protestant Churches wrong themselves that leave any footsteps of this government in their Churches For that is part of the image of the beast for the second beast when he was advanced he would have an image of the first beast they must have Provinciall and Diocesan Churches and National Churches and carry I know not how many hundred congregations into one Nationall Church and there must be some Diocesan and Metrapolitan church and the rest must be inferiour to that Though this be not so great a monster as the great Beast yet it is an image of this beast can any brother tell his offence to such a church And will you have him stay till the whole National church meets Or will you have him stay till the Diocesan church meets and carry his offences to the Visitation Do you think they will right his cause then Are a few such kind of men the Chancellor and Register and Surrogate and Apparitor do you think the church that our Saviour bids us tell Are these they that are gathered together that all may heare and all may be edefied Do these serve the Lord Jesus and not their owne bellies I say therefore you may see what great reason men have to with-draw from subjection in spirituall matters to the Image of this great beast that in some measure represent the same state as they Thirdly let it be a seasonable advertisement to all if I were to speak to Princes to all Princes but however to all Magistrates how to make use of their Authority to be as Protectors of the Church in respect of their spirituall estate as children of the church but not to give the horns to the church though horns be for beauty and strength you see it makes the Church a monster and it is to make a beast of the Church And so if you should make Church-Officers Justices of Peace or Councellors or prostitute your own Government to them that if the Church condemn any then you must do so too as heretofore if a man were condemned by the Church and by them delivered to the secular power then burn him presently this puts your Horns upon the Churches head unto monstrous deformity And therefore it is necessary for Magistrates to keep their power in their owne hands and not to take things Ipso facto from the Church but to consider what is done and then they are to confirm what the Church doth according to God Here are ten horns and these are tenne Kings by the holy Ghosts interpretation and they adde to the monstrousnesse of this Beast by giving their power thereto Why doth this mishape a Christian Church for Magistrates to submit their crownes to the Church No God forbid it is an honour and happinesse to them when Kings are nursing Fathers to the church and bow down their faces to the earth Isa 49. 23. But why then doth he put it as a part of the mishapen state of the Church that it had tenne hornes to wit because these Kings did give their strength and power to the Beast that the Beast did act these Horns acording to the power of his lust as Chap. 17. v. 17. as it was truly accomplished in all the Kings of Europe that did submit all their Scepters and Thrones and Crowns and Dignities to the Bishop of Rome That if hee command this or that there must be room for him what ever becomes of Princes Laws and Endeavours and all acts and enterprises of War or Peace He had their horns on his head he might push with them as he would This made the Church a monster when soveraign power was obnoxious to the Bishop of Rome when without Excomunication whether a cause were of God or no Magistrates proceeded if the Church had censured As a Beast that hath horns on his head as hee turns so must the power of his horns be set and put forth If therefore the Catholick Church or any Officer of it shall condemn a man as an Heretick and then deliver him to the secular power they never dispute the cause but take it for granted If their holy mother Church condemn him the Secular Power must push and crush him to the very Earth and trample him under foot and rend his bowels from his body if he once be delivered to them Now this makes the Church a beast that hath this power over the Princes of the Earth that look what is their lust or their ignorance or their errour and the contrary adjudged by them to be Heresie that the Secular power must mayntain the one and condemn the other It is a comfortable thing for Churches to be strengthned and protected by civill Magistrates But if they captivate their power to the Church that what Church Rulers call for not according to the Word but their Lusts that the civill Magistrate must confirm that makes the Church a Beast And therefore be wise now O ye Kings be instructed O ye Judges of the earth serve the Lord with feare and rejoyce with trembling c. Psal 2. 11 12. Kisse the Lord Jesus submit to him and in him to the church Lick the dust off the feet of the church dispensing his counsell and will But when by implicite obedience the Common-wealth must he prostitute to the Beast it makes the Beast more monstrous then it is The authority of Princes in that kind makes such churches to be
did any earthly Prince challenge that he could not erre nor that none must controll him if he did There have been Laws made to controll the greatest Princes Nebuchadnezzar was taught to be controlled that in the end Shadrach Mesech and Abednego goe away rewarded 3. The Catholick Church and the Pope is the head of it claimes a power of binding and loosing To bind mens consciences by his Laws and to loose mens consciences by his Indulgences and that not ministerially as Ministers do from the Word but by a Juditiary power to dissolve the bond of naturall Obedience incestuous Marriages Oaths and Covenants in Marriage Natural relations between Parents and Children and morall Relations between Princes and Subjects There is not any bond that he cannot loose nor any liberty which he cannot restraine And this not over a few only but over the vast world so far as it is Christian And 4. It is a great thing he speakes and he speakes it not behind the door when he challengeth Soveraign dominion in way of advancement of Religion over all Kingdoms so as to depose their Kings and dispose of their Kingdoms leave any State to choose where he hath power If his Crowne be to be fetched from Rome as it was in former times when it was most active He will set it on but dash it off againe out of the plentitude of his power to â—et up and throw downe at his pleasure He opened his mouth to speak great things He is never so in his element as when he doth hold forth such vast authority and divine propriety proper to the Father Son and holy Ghost Now as he speaks great things so blasphemes against God and wherein Against his Name and Tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven Against his name All these are blasphemies against Gods name to attribute all these divine properties to a beastly man to a great beast And it is blasphemy to ascribe any divine honour or to put it upon any creature Images served the holy Ghost calls blasphemy Isa 65. 7. You have blasphemed me upon every green hill And in Ezek. 20. 27 28. he complaines of the like blasphemy that they blasphemed him by their Idolatires In Mar. 2. 7. Why doth this man speak blasphemies who can forgive sins but God onely It were to speak blasphemy in any but in Christ Secondly It is against his Tabernacle that may be either meant the body of Christ as 1 John 14. He tabernacled amongst us Or it may be meant the visible Churches such as are instituted by him For the body of Christ it is blasphemy to go to every Masse Priest to make him the body and blood of our Saviour Or if you understand the Tabernacle to be the Church that is the Temple of God 1 Cor. 3. 16. Now to call the Church of Christ a Conventicle of Hereticks and Schismaticks it is blasphemy and so they count all the Churches here And for the Saints in heaven to put upon them divine worship to build Temples to them to put up Prayers to them to keep Holy-dayes to them it is blasphemie to them it is a great dishonour Paul and Barnabas when they saw men to come and offer sacrifice to them Men and brethren why doe you these things you cannot do us a greater injury And for the Saints in heaven that is pure Churches he condemns them for Hereticks and Schismaticks and as unworthy of Christian communion and Christian burial these are blasphemies So you see the meaning of this Scripture There was given him a mouth to speake great things and to blaspheme God in his Name in his Tabernacle in those that dwell in Heaven Thus hath he done many yeares and thus doth hee still Now for the reason of the point you see the point stands upon two branches 1. That such power was given him 2. That he did effectually and abundantly put it foâ—â—h He opened his mouth Let mee give the reasons of both 1. Why such power was given him it was First from God in his just judgement to punish the unthankfull world that received not the love of the truth Therefore the Lord gave them over to efficacy of delusions to believe lies That they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse 2 Thes 2. 10 11. This is the just judgment of God that since they refused the simplicity of wholsome Doctrine and had itching eares they should have such men as came with the subduing word of the Law to speak great things and they should have what they aske This is from Gods just jugement A second Reason is from Satan for God concurred and Satan concurred and Christian Princes concurred herein Satan concurred for this reason that he might be avenged of God and despight the name of Christ that had cast him out and dethroned him from his divine power That whereas he was the great God of the world and the God of Israel but a puny God of the lesser Nations now hee is to be no God to trust on but like a Toad or Serpent this doth so enrage the venome of the old Devill that he powrs forth a flood of malice and venome against the Church and Christ as much as may be to testifie to the world hee would be Lord and the Lord Jesus should not prevaile And if he may not be God he will set up a Beast that shall be adored as God And it is a great despight to Christ to advance a Beast that shall carry great State and power and dare and will speak greater things then all the Churches of Christ I as great as the Lord himself shall speak look what one speaks the other wil speak it all and speak it abundantly As the Devill himselfe sometimes said to Christ All these will I give thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship me The same doth he speak at this day and he will speak without controll Another reason that binds Satan so to speak is not only his old enmity to Christ but from his malice against the Church When hee saw that the seed of the woman had thus dethroned him and cast him out of divine power he powrs forth a flood of malice after her and he sends forth an ugly Beast that if he can may root out the face of Christianity and root her out from the face of the earth Rev. 12. 15. These are the Devils reasons that mooved him to stirre up the Beast and to give him a mouth to speake so boldly as hee did But why will Christian Princes be so prodigall to submit themselves to him God had committed to them the care of the Churches that all Churches should live peaceably and quietly under them in all godliness and honesty why would they so degenerate and suffer the Bishop of Rome so to arrogate and speak such great blasphemies The reasons were 1. Because they were ignorantly blinde It was a time of palpable darknesse darknesse
very beastly and ugly monsters Fourthly let it be of this use to raise up our hearts in holy thankfulnesse to God that hath delivered us from this Monster both our Fathers from this great beast and our selves from the remnants of the Image of this beast from all Dioceâ—san and National Churches and from Metropollitan Catholick visible Churches that are Images of this great beast You know how much the civill Laws of Christian Kingdoms doe strengthen Ecclesiasticall power that if once a Church excoÌ„municat a man you know the power of the Law if once this or that court excomunicate a man though it be but for not paying fees when it may be he hath no money or thinks it not lawfull to maintain them by his purse yea when he is excommunicate it may be for going to hear a Sermon in another place when he hath nothing but reading at home or if a man fast with his neighbors in his house then what power there is out of such a Court civill Courts of Justice confirme there comes a Significavit that if he shall live so excommunicate and if he continue and stay out a certain time then the Common-wealth apprehends him and never considers whether the cause be just or unjust I confesse there is a liberty to traverse such a cause but if a man want money or want friends he may be taken and carryed to Prison and there he may lie and rott for any of these mishapen Clergy men But I say it is a great liberty to be freed from this great beast that he hath no finger amongst us we are out of his paw and out of his smell It was a matter in question here not long agoe whether the Court should not take a course to punish such persons as stood excommunicate out of the Church if they should stand long excommunicate but it was a good providence of God that such a thing was prevented Let not any Court Ipso facto take things from the Church If such a Law were made the Fathers live not for ever and if such a Law were once established that a Church-member standing so long excommunicated the Common-wealth then should proceed against him were this established it would make a Beast of the Church we are subject to erre and our posterity that comes after us may erre it may be feared worse It is therefore a mercy to be freed from the beast from the paw of the Bear and the mouth of the Lyon It is such a mercy that they that got the victory over these they stood praising God as Chap. 15. 1 2. The Lambs company that stood on mount Siâ—on they stand and praise and wonder at the gracious hand of God in this case And therefore we should in the fear of God be unfeignedly thankfull to God for our present liberties and withall that we may be so Let him that hath an eare to heare heare If you be of Spirituall discerning and know what these mercies mean you will be really thankfull Therefore shew this thankfullnesse not onely in searching the true meaning of the Text and the true nature of this beast described in it but also in standing fast in these great liberties wherewith Christ hath made us free Gal. 5. 1. You shall have many poore creatures that came hither to this Country and will be ready to go back againe they looke at things as mean and poor here believe it such a man hath not an eare nor an eye open he knows not whether he goes Hagar Sarahs maid whether goest thou saith the Lord to her And so may I say to such whether will you goe will you be gone back againe to Egypt God forbid I should count all our Native Country as Egypt but if you goe thither you will have much adoe to escape the paw of of the Bear If you be once incorporated into any of their Parishes you will finde such beastly work in Church Government I may speak it without wrong to any but that I may bear witnesse against what is corrupt that you will then finde the blessing of those that enjoy liberty and piety together you must worship the beast or the Image of the beast A Diocesan or Nationall Church it is but an Image of the great beast it is a plain pattern of the same and you will finde the body of the Church rent from you or you will be rent from the body if you shall walk roundly and sincerely in the ways of God you will finde sad work to have your own officers or others to rise up against you but we have here cause to praise God for our present liberties and therefore you are to be wary what you doe If this be cause of thankfulnesse turn not againe to that from which the Lord by his stretched out arme hath delivered you And this let me say further as it may provoke us to thankfulness so to forego all the Profits of this life rather then to be drawn to subjection to such a Spirituall Government you see what the holy Ghost counts it seven heads ten horns heads full of names of blasphemy horns crowned and here is a beast like a Leopard with feet like a Bear that all the Government of it looks like rapine and robbery catching and snatching rending and tearing this is the sum and scope of it And therefore be not deceived if men shall tender you faire termes that may smell sweet you shall have liberty in this and that and protection of a good State but it is but the smell of a Leopard when you have yielded to such Conditions as may be tendred you will finde such strong hold got of you that you will never get out And then you shall finde what ever Conditions are put in at first the last Edition will be a mouth like a Lyon They will bring you in with subtilty like a Leopard lay fast hold upon you like a Beare and before they have done there will be a mouth like a Lyon And therefore as we are to be thankfull so we are to be faithfull to God that hath purchased these great liberties for us and be no more willing to be intangled with your former state than you would be willing to fall into the mouth of a Lyon or come under the paw a Beare Qâ— But you will say what is this to me I am but a private Christian Answ Private Christians must not live alwayes in a private State for that darkens a mans estate if he knows not the order of Gods house nor addresseth himselfe to it It is true if a man either were in the Temple or looked towards it his prayers were accepted but if a man have no minde to know the orders of Gods house his ignorance of Church matters will darken his own spirituall estate And therefore whosoever thou be Sonne or Daughter If any have eares to heare let them listen to what is here spoken that so by the blessing of God you