proceedings against the Saints and faithfull servants of God u Even as the woman described Revel. 17. 3. seemes to differ much from that Bâ—ast mentioned Revel. 13 1 c but yet she sits upon the same beast with seven heads and ten bornes but without either â—it or bridle in her mouth to guide it fignifying that this woman is rather guided by the beast having the like Naturall properties of such a bruâ—t beast led with sensualâ—…e as speakes the Apostle Saint Peter 1. 2. 12. and altogether as malicious cruell and abominable if not more because indued with more reason and knowledge altogether perverted and abused And though the said woman be also more gloriously arrayed as you see verse 4. of the said 17 Chapter then the beast yet she is covered all over with names of blasphemie worse then the spotts of the said Panthere And though shee hold in her hand a cup which seemes to bee of gold yet it is but of some base metall only guilt over and thereby but disguised and howsoever it is but full of abominable doctrines and of the filthinesse of her fornication whereby as the false Prophet Balaam shee seduces and deceives both the Kings of the Earth and also the servants of God to commiâ— fornication with her Thus it is with this Nationall Hierarchicall Euphrates which is the right Sea where upon this whore sits as it will appeare by that which followeth u Therefore called the depth of Satan Revel. 2. 24. In which pit it was confined of old by the ancient fathers with Pelagius the first author thereof in the Councell of Carthage kept anno 422. who was an English man borne once one of the chiefe Monkes of that famous Monasterie of Bangor in Chester as it appeares by that verse of Prosper Pestifero vomuit coluber sermone Britaâ—â—us speaking of the said Pelagius compating him in respect of his false doctrine to a Serpent a right broode of the old Serpent one of those that is represented by one of the rods of the charmers of Pharaoh which were turned into serpents but devoured by that of Aaron mentioned Exod. 7. 11 12. * Revel. 15. 3. * 19. Psal. 137. 3. x This ought to be done by the Christian Israll as soone as they shall have rooted out of the Church of God all the Hierarchicall power and authority of Archbishops and Diocesan Bishops * Exod. 19. 1. * Exod. 32. 1 2 c. * Numb. 33. 19. see also Numb. 14. 1 c. * Numb. 20. 29. y Compare these places of the Revelat. which are parallels viz. Revel. 2. 22. 23. with Revel. 9. 18. 20. with chap. 11. verse 13. and chap. 16. verse 3 4 6. and chap. 18. verse 9. 11. and 17. all which well considered will give a great light for the right understanding of these mysteries z That phrase noteth a double death viz. both corporall and Spirituall the like is noted Gen. 2. 17. * Revel. 2. 23. * Iosh. 4. 19. a Answering to the 42. monethes of the Christian Churches pilgrimage through the forenamed desert of Romish Idolatries and superstitions b Thus was the Church of God in England and else where in great hope of a totall and finall deliverance out of the said desart-like popish Religion when King Edward the sixt came to the Crowne but soone after frustrate thereof by his untimely death and therefore forced to stand at that glassie Sea or misticall Euphrates mingled with fire c. mentioned Revel. 15. 2. a place parallel to this being the right type of that c A type of the Parliament in King Edward the sixt and in Queene Elizabeth's time d The message sent by Moses to the Kings of the Amorites before the passage of the Jordan mentioned Numb. 21. 21. c. falles in the time or hath for its Antitype the time of the two Maries Queenes the one of England and the other of Scotland who would not permit the true Reformed Religion to be established in their Kingdomes but rather opposed and persecuted it as much as they could being the horneâ— of the Beast-like Hierarchie * Numb. 21. 24. and 33. * Iosh. 11. 12. c. e The Vice-Roys of this Christian Bâ—shan but especially the last of them William Laud the remnant of the Gyant Popes was a mighty Gyant though of a little bodily stature having for their ordinary beaâ—stead a very spacious Lambeth which hath proved very often a hot burning furnace of yron to many of Gods faithfull servants when the High-Commission Court was kept there f See Rob. f. Herrey Common places first Table * Numb. 34. 11. * Luke 5. 1. * Mat. 4. 18. * Numb. 33. 49. * Numb. 31. 16. * Numb. 25. 9. and Deut. 32. 50. * Heb. 7. Verse 16. * Iosh. 3. 13. â—5 and * Verse 16. and * Verse 17. and 4. 12. * Verse 19. 20. * Iosh. 5. 2. and verse 4. c. * And verse 9. 10. 11. * Numb. 21. 6. g Henry the third was the first which caused Christians to bee burned in England at the instigation of Arundel then Archbishop of Cant. about the yeare 1397. h The time when the Pope was banished out of England was in the yeare of Christ 1534 one yeare after the birth of Queene Eliz. Paul the third being then Pope of Rome a most prophane scoffer of Christ He cursed the same King Henry and gave his Kingdome to whomsoever could get it * Numb. 21. 18. Dartie * Deut. 3. â—4 * Psal. 136. 19 20 21 22. h Aarons ornaments of honour and glorie were many viz. 12. in number whereof he was not stripped all at once but peece by peece and one after another leasurly being loath to dye before he entred into the land of promise as well as Moses and both as unwilling to be thus separated the one froÌ„ the other The Pope was much more loath to be stripped of any part of his power and glory to be cast out of his earthly Canaan and therefore hath hee so much strugled with those thâ—… have at any time attempted to strip him of any part thereof * Numb. 20. 28. i If the Parliament now assembled should but clip the superfluity of B. B. wings that they might not soare so high as they have done hitherto they should then goe no further in the reformation then the said Princes did which God for bid who looketh for much more at their hands and the Christian Israel of God also in this glorious time of reformation * Revel. 22. 1 * Mat. 15. 8. 〈◊〉 * Exod. 24. 18 and 25. 9. and 40. * Isa. 8. 7. k As Doctor Leiton and M. Prtn M. Burton and D. Bastwick two couples of the worthy witnesses of Christ * â—evel 15. 2. Iosh. 3 15. l It is very considerable that as the river Jordan the prototype of this Nationall Euphrates as is noted before hath two springs or chiefe sources the one called Jor and the other Dan even so this misticall Euphrates hathtwo chiefe heads
Therefore thus saith the Lord behold I will plead thy cause take vengeance for thee I will dry up her sea and make her springs dry Ezech. 27. 29. 32. All that handle the oare the mariners all the Pilotes of the Sea shall come downe from their ships they shall stand upon the land And in their wailing they shall take up a lamentation for thee and lament ouer thee saying what Citie â—â—s ever like Tyrus like the destroyed in the midst of the Sea London Printed by Thomas Payne And are to be Sold by Humphry Blunden At the Castle in Cornhill 1641. Io: Droâ—â—hâ—â—t sculp TO THE HONORABLE THE KNIGHTS CITIZENS AND BVRGESSES OF THE COMMONS HOVSE OF PARLIAMENT MOst Noble and Right worthie Senate Moses telleth us that when God had commanded him to make the Tabernacle and all the instruments thereof according to the patterne which he had shewed him in the Mount he bad him withall to speake unto the children of Israel to bring for the building thereof gold silver brasse silke purple scarlet fine linnen goates haire rammes skinnes c. Of all whichthings every one whose harts moved them willingly brought presently a free offering to the Lord All which materialls were delivered by Moses to the workemen called by God and by him appointed to doe the worke Who were Betsalcel Aholiab and all other wise-hearted men in whom God had put wisedome to make all that hee had commanded him This Tabernacle and likewise the Temple by Salomon were but types of the new Jerusalem which commeth downe out of Heaven from God About the building whereof you Worthies of the Lord beeing now employed by the like calling and appointment And having to the very same end printed of late and published an order for all peoples nations and tongues living under the Dominions of our Soveraigne by which you gave them to understand that you earnestly desired and expected that all ingenious persons in every Countrey of the Kingdome should be very active to improve the present opportunitie by giving a true information of the state and condition of all the Parishes in their severall Counties concerning preaching Ministers c. In obedience to which I made all speede possible to bring a small free-will offering which as I suppose may somewhat conduce and serve for the furtherance and effecting of the said building It is a parcell of Gold which though it be but in ore yet is already judged by the touch of it to the true stone of triall the Scripture to be purer then that anciently so much renowned of Ophir or that overmuch now prised of that new discovered world It was found of late digging under hard Taske-masters and detainers of hire with a company of hard labouring yoke-fellowes who for the space of these five and twenty yeares past have night and day digged at that goldenpit of the Revelation of Saint John to discover the most rich and glorious mysteries hidden therein A veine whereof having but lately opened it gave presently great hope and assurance of most rich treasures lying yet further and deeper which may now with some more labour be attained unto if the worke be continued and necessarie tooles with convenient furniture be supplied and furnished for the same for the furthering of the said spirituall building the perfect model whereof is therein most excellently set out and described I thought therfore that I was in most humble dutie bound this day being a day of good tidings to hold no longer my peace in concealing of the same but that I was to acquaint first of all your honours as being they to whom it concernes now most in presenting herewith a proofe therof the which though it be wrapped up in a very course yea borrowed cloath yet contemne it not therefore no more then Christ did the two mites of the poore widow it proceeding also from a sincere heart Your acceptance therof will sett many more at work about the same pit which will furnish worke enough for all and the best with a bundance of most rich spiritualltrea sure necessarie for the perfecting of the foresaid building It will very much encourage my forementioned {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to follow hard the said worke when they shall see me returning to them furnished with an authenticall approbation and authorising of their said labour in the said worke of the Lord being with all furnished by your most equitable justice and Parliamentarie authority with a lawfull power and necessarie implements to work with them in my former station in the said taske without any more feare or danger of interruption by any Sanballats or Tobiahs The which favour of yours shall oblige for ever Your Honours and Worships most humble daily Orator I. D. L. M. TO THE FAITHFVLL WITNESSE OF CHRIST Mr. Henry Burton Worthy Sir THE first draught of this Treatise was conveyed unto you attired in a borrowed garment presently after the matter therein contained had been preached in our Monethly Propositions and publick meetings duly observed amongst us according to the order prescribed in our Discipline not unknowne unto you The reason was because of the great interest you had therein not onely in regard of the spirituall brother-hood and former acquaintance but especially in respect of the subject thereof You being one of the eminent witnesses of Christ that had suffered for the testimonie of his truth according to the Prophesie mentioned Revel. 11 7. c. yet then lying unburied in one of the publike places of the great Citie Castle Cornet in Garnezey where some few yeares before two other Bretheren and the Authour also for a whole weeke of moneths had beene unjustly impâ—…oned and unlawfully detained for the same testimonie And though you were then overcome by the beast of the bottomlesse pit who had made warre against you and by her killed with that most uncivill and unnaturall death I meane that close-confined Prison yet that faithfull and true witnesse the beginning of the creatures of God had bounded and determined it having faithfully promised by the said Prophet in the same chapter to raise you againe at the ending of the limited time of three dayes and a halfe whereof you were then by the meanes of this Treatise informed and assured some five or sixe Moneths before it came to passe The application thereof unto you being made as plaine as if it had beene already effected by that perspective the Table of the Parallel of the 42. journeys and moneths of both the Iewish and Christian Churches of their wildernesses set in view in the beginning of this book And for the use of all such as are desirous to follow the footsteps and understand with the booke of the Revelation likewise the true period of time in which the notable Accidents of the Christian Church travelling through her said wildernesse came to passe And thus to observe her progresse all along the same That is first her entrie therein or the
meanes and degrees by which shee came at length to fall into that vast and drie wildernesse of Idolatrie a right shadow of Death and so grosse that all the former Pagans could not parallel it Then secondly how long shee hath continued under that blacknesse of darkenesse and ignorance thicker and obscurer then that of Egypt And lastly the very time when God in his mercy began to bring and leade her out of the same taking vengeance by degrees of all her persecutors The said Treatise indeede at its first flight did but intend your particular comfort and encouragement in your most undanted faith Jonas-like during your said death Whereof when you were risen and ascended up in a cloud to the heavenly Armagedon or Parliament calling you it would needes take it selfe to its wings being somewhat better feathered then at first and follow you over-sea there to observe more of its contents Trusting by the former true events to see a further accomplishment of many more wherein it hath in nothing hitherto been deceived having observed among many other wonderfull mercies of God first the second tribe of the Christian Israel passing over treading under foot that proudly overflowed Euphraticall Jordan Secondly the Covenant of Circumcifi ōrenewed in Gilgal where I am sure that the twelve stones are set up for a monument to posterity of the drying up of the said Jordan about the revolution of the 1641 yeare being the first of the last tenth of the last Moneth of the long tribulation and the first also of the raising of the Church agreeing with the particular time of your forementioned raising which was as is noted in the treatise the first day of the last moneth of your death And the beginning of the conquest of the premices of the ten Kingdomes of the great Citie or tenth part of them which was to be the first consecrated to God to be brought under the yoke of the Lamb Iesus Christ It observed immediatly after this the celebrating of the Christian Passeover the next Sabbath day following Thirdly the compassing about of the Citie Jericho by the three severall shouting Companies having with them the Arke of the Lord with the downefall of her walls and the sacking therof It admired especially observing that by the command of Joshua Rahab the Harlot was to be put out of the campe there to be by the speciall charge thereof committed to you prepared according to the law and thereby fitted for to be shortly married to the Lambe her promised husband as soone as shee should be stript of her whorish Babylonish garment as soone as the nailes of the Courts of her scratching persecution should be cut off and finally as soone as all the Ceremonies borrowed haires of her alluring and enticing whoredomes should bee shaved off The most part of which perceiving to be now effected it could be contained no longer but would needes scape out of my hands to fly abroad God grant it a favourable entertainement that it may returne againe with a safe conduct to its owner to carry the good tidings of Reformation most necessarie and wanting in the state both Civill and Ecclesiasticall of the Countrie of his aboade The prosecuting and obtaining whereof I desire that it may be by you to your powered further whereby you shall oblige mee to continue for ever Yours in the Lord I. D. L. M. TO THE REAER CHristian Reader little did I dreame that these private meditations intended onely for a particular Congregation should bee made thus publike to the view of the world Sed homo proponit Deus disponit man purposeth but God disposeth Importunity wrung them from me and present opportunity caused mee to yeeld thereunto And the rather because I saw now in good part effected and very much advanced by the wonderfull mercy of Almightie God that concerning the fall of the English Euphraticall Iordan or Nationall Hierarchy of Prelates which I did conceive then to be very neare approaching Being induced thereunto by the observation of the time appointed and by God limited for the Christian Churches pilgrimage through her most vast wildernesse following her all along it as it were step by step from one moneth to another with the helpe and light of that true Type and right guide the old Church of Israel having the Lord going before them by day in the pillar of a cloud to leade them the way and by night in the pillar of fire to give them light that they might goe both by day and by night under the conduct of Moses and Aaron The want of which Typicall guide hath beene the cause in my opinion that many though very worthy men and well deserving of the Church of God for their excellent labours in the exposition of the booke of the Revelation have many times wandered along the said Desart in seeking the footsteps of the said Christian Church which they have often missed It being indeede as difficult to be found without the helpe of the foresaid Typicall guide as I suppose as any of those waies mentioned by Solomon Prov. 30. 18. 19. but very easie having the said light going before Therefore have I already laboured for a good while and doe purpose to continue still if I bee not prevented by God or by the labour of some other in that kinde to parallel the travell of both the foresaid Churches their most notable accidents to send it abroad A tast whereof I profer unto thee in the meane while the which if being relished by thee it findes any good entertainement at thy hands though it be presented unto thee in a very ill polished because borrowed language it will the more encourage me to goe on with chearefulnesse and alacritie in my intended purpose by the assistance of the All sufficient God and thy Christian prayers in my behalfe to him who is no respector of persons and who doth reveale his secrets to all them that feare him Amen Thine in the Lord Jesus I. D. L. M. A COMPLAINT OF THE FALSE PROPHETS MARINERS upon the drying up of their Hierarchicall Euphrates As it was Preached in publik in the Moneth of February 1639 upon these words of the Revelat. 18. 17. And every Shipmaster and all the Company in Shippes and Saylers and as many as trade by Sea stood a farre off THE rod of wickednesse shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous least the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquitie saith the Lord Psalme 125. 3. That of the Roman beast hath for a very long while afflicted the Christian Church yet her lasting hath beene restrained to two and forty Moneths of yeares as it is said by the Angell to John when he forbad him to mete the Court which was without the Temple because saith he It was given unto the Gentiles who should treade the holy Citie under foot two and forty monethes So likewise in the 13. of the Revel. v. 5. where it is said that power was
proceedeth from this viz. that by the drying of the said Nationall Euphrates the tenth part of the Kingdome of the Roman Beast or Empire doth fall altogether or doth quite separate it selfe from it to be no longer a member thereof this part comprehending the Kingdomes of England Scotland Ireland with all the Iles adjacent and thereunto belonging In which part of the said Roman Empire the said Hierarchicall power must now then be utterly abolished according to the foreappointed decree registred in that forealledged place of Revel. 11. 13. and likewise 16. 12. it being the fift and last effect of the said sixt Trumpet the accoÌ„plishment whereof is the cause of the * great voyce of that great multitude in heaven which was heard by John saying Hallelujah Salvation glory honor power be to the Lord our God because his judgements are true righteous because he hath judged the great whore which did corrupt the earth with her fornicatioÌ„s c. By which means also a very wide gate is opened and the way prepared for the people inhabiting the said 3 forementioned Kingdomes which the said Euphrates had but a little while before almost over flowed quite drowned hâ—d not the Lord in mercy in a most wonderfull manner prevented it by the powring out of the said sixt Viall upon it in the very time of its most swelling and all overwhelming power by which means its intolerable pride is not only abated but the Euphrates it selfe is quite dryed up so that you as the Premices of the conquered and perfectly converted Kingdomes of the foresaid Roman Western Empire may now freely enter before the other nations in the Canaan of the true reformation the which having first settled and established among you having quite rooted the said Hierarchy registred to eternall memory the utter abolishing therof you may then presently enter in CovenaÌ„t with the Lord and oblige your selves by vow first to continue for ever after faithfull unto him so that you will in a holy zeale defile the very coverings of the images of silver and of gold and take away all the high places and cast away as a menstrous cloth all reliques and remnants of superstition idolatries from among you say unto them Get yee hence that God * may see among you no uncleane thing that may cause him to turne away from you but that rather he may delight to dwell with you and * to walke in the midst of your then bright shining golden Candlestick even to deliver you and to give up all your enemies before you And after that imitating herein the Rubenites Gadites and halfe tribe of Manasseh you may goe armed before the Lord to warre and goe all of you armed over the Euphraticall Iordan before the Lord untill he hath driven out all your enemies the Popish Hierarchicall Canaanites from before him and subdued the whole Land before the Lord as said Moses to the said Rubenites c. in the forealledged place of Num. 32. 21. And though you come from the more Westerly parts of the Western Roman Empire yet are you in a mysticall sense both in respect of the type those ancieÌ„t Israelites entring into Canaan at the East side of it and also in respect of your profession the right Kings of the East comming from the Sunne rising where the day spring the true shining light of the Gospel from on high hath visited you thus to goe before his face to prepare his wayes And as the Israelites brought along with them the * Arke of the Testament over laid round about with gold wherein was the Golden pot that had Manna and Aarons rod that budded and the Tables of the Covenant so doe you bring along with you to them the * everlasting Gospel * of the Kingdome with the powerfull preaching thereof the true food of the Soule together with an holy Church-government at the bright shining light whereof all false Antichristian doctrines of idolatries superstitious Ceremonies will-worship and all other humane inventions shall fall as * Dagon before the Arke yea * Satan himselfe shall fall from heaven It will further cast down before you * all imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it selfe against the knowledge of God and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ Which is the conquest here especially intended and the weapons wherewith it must be performed This is that mystery whereof the Angel that stood upon the sea and upon the earth spake which God had declared before to his servants the Prophets which is now to be accomplished namely among the rest to Daniel in the * seventh of his prophecy v. 25. speaking of the time of the finishing of the Kingdome tyranny of the little horne which should then undermine viz. by her wiles as another Balaam the Saints of the most High which S. John Rev. 11. 7. â—pplyes to the time of the two witnesses finishing their testimony saying that the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomles pit should then especially make warre against them and should overcome them and kill them which last words Daniel expresses thus saying of the said Witnesses that they should be given into hâ—s hand viz. of that little horne or powerfull Nationall Hierarchicall Sea but with all limiting the time of that victory when he addes in the next words untill a time and times and the dividing of time in these few words comprehending what S John more fully and clearely expresses in the 8 9 and 10. v. of the foresaid Chap. wherein he shews both their condition during their said death and also distinctly what we are to understand by that indetermined time of Daniel viz. three dayes an halfe which we have already shewed to be meant of the three yeares an halfe of the Witnesses n mysticall death or imprisonment At the ending of which time Daniel saith that the judgement should sit and thâ—y viz that sit in the said judgement should take away his Dominion to consume it destroy it unto the end which is thus expressed by S John first in the foresaid Chap. v. 11 12 13. saying that after those three dayes and an halfe formentioned the Spirit of life c. and afterwards v. 13. And the same houre was there an earth-quake and the tenth part of the Citie fell c. Item Chap. 16. 12. in these words And the sixt Angell powred out his viall upon the great river Euphrates and the water thereof was dryed up And then finally in the thankesgiving of that great multitude assembled in Armageddon sitting in the foresaid judgement Rev. 16. 16. saying * Allelujah Salvation and glory and honor and power be unto the Lord our God for true and righteous are his judgements for he hath judged the great whore and hath avenged the bloud of his servants at her hand All which places are parallell By the