the Duke should be accounted by all men absolute Governour and all men dispenced withal not to hold or observe any Ordinance or Institution made by any others then by him and that all things should be referred to his discretion I would not be understood as if Duke d' Alva were meant in this Prophesie for I think otherwise 1. Because he was no Apostate that is did never vow and promise better things 2. He had no form of godliness Both which must be in the persons here foretold Fierce or unmild not tame wilde savage â— Inhumani seri beastiarum more saith Osiander Inhumane and wilde after the manner of Beasts So Junius Feri Bestiaruns more efferatos Arias Montan. The Dutch Cruel with whom it is perilous to converse The word properly is applied to the rage and cruelty of Beasts Hence some translate Bestiales Memorable is the thing which fell out lately at Abingdon The Souldiers were more wilde and savage then the Beasts they rid upon for the poor Beasts would not do the cruelty upon the Saints though spurd kickt and beaten to trample them under foot being at Prayer as their barbarous Riders would have had them do How will some stamp rage rail threaten and shake their Heads as if they would eat up God's people when they are brought before them But that which I take to be chiefly meant by the word is this Look as Beasts will hear no reason neither is there any stopping of them in their fierceness by speaking to them So to speak to these men meant here in the Text of Reason Law Justice Conscience Right it is to no purpose they are Feri wilde Beasts their Will and Lusts must be satisfied Again as some Beasts having gotten by force or fraud mastery over their Fellows rule them by no Law but their will such a Beast-like Government doth the Spirit of God here intend so that without doubt by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tyrants are here meant Now according to Statists and Lawyers there are two sorts of Tyrants One absquetitulo qui Rempub. sibi non commissam sine ullo justo Titulo vel Successionis vel Electionis invadit aut vi aperta aut malis Artibus He is called a Tyrant without Title who invades the Commonwealth not committed to him without any lawful Title either of Succession or Election either by open fraud or wicked designs Others describe him thus Qui sine ullo jure aut iniquo minimè legitimo Titulo Principitatum invadit who without any right or the least lawful Title usurps the Principality The other is Tyrannus exercitio sive â—su id est qui legitimum quidem jus ad Principatum habet sed eum injuste contra Leges exercet A Tyrant by Practice or Exercise who though he have a lawful right to the Government yet administers the same unjustly and against Laws Of this later Tyrant Bartolus and others give Ten Notes Again touching the former Tyrant their judgement is thus Quia Tyrannus absquetitulo nullum habet Fundamentum sut Principatus sive Regiminis ideo eâ— tanquam privato licet sine ulla conscientiae difficultate resistere eumque pellere velâ— medio tollere Quin desensio est juris Naturae A Tyrant without Title having no Foundation of his Principality or Government may as a private man without scruple of Conscience lawfully be resisted and expelled and removed from his place The Reason is because it is the defence of natural right The Conclusion is When the Later Apostacie shall be in the World or rather in the Church Tyrants shall then reign it is not said which of the Two but one of them will be Neither have we ground to think that such an Apostacie is already come unless so much doth appear There may be yet something more in the word Out of this Apostacie as the Bottomless Pit ascendeth the Beast that slayes the Witnesses Now observe it Reader it is a Beast that kills the Witnesses and what are the Later Apostates said to be Feri wilde Beasts Despisers of those that are good or not lovers of good men nor good things for the word takes in both minimè amantes bonorum Beza Negligentes bonorum Pagn If good men are not lov'd it is for the good things which they hold and practice Two ways men are said to be good men either as they stand for the good of their Country against Tyranny and Oppression and for the Liberties Freedom Priviledges and just power of the people Or standing up for the Truths of the Gospel and the Interest and Cause of Christ Now the Later Apostates shall appear against Good Men both these wayes And if this be not so now it is not the Apostacy in Timothy Traytors A name given to Judas Luk. 6. 16. and to the Murtherers of Christ Act. 7. 52. So that there are two sorts of Traytors 1 Spiritual or Gospel-Traytors 2. Civil or Law-Traytors Whether the Present Back-sliders are meant here I shall onely shew what they have said and leave the Reader to be Judge For the first thus they have said We have not onely proclaimed Jesus Christ King of Saints to be our King by profession but to admit him to the Exercise of his Royal Authority And upon this simple account we engaged not knowing the deep policy of Wordly States-men And those things simply were in our eyes namely THE DESTRUCTION OF ANTICHRIST THE ADVANCEMENT OF CHRIST's KINGDOM THE DELIVERANCE AND REFORMATION OF HIS CHURCH IN THE BEST ESTABLISHMENT OF HIS ORDINANCES ACCORDING TO THE WORD OF GOD and the just Civil Liberties of English-men Besides not onely would they have That the exaction of Tythes and all manner of Impropriations removed but all corrupt forms of an outside-Religion and Church-Government Now with this compare their PRACTICE since whether the good things they declared for and the evil things they witnessed against they have not onely declined and most unworthily betrayed as the destruction of Antichrist and the advancement of the Kingdom of Christ but have do most cruelly hate persecute by banishment and imprisonment many of the Lord's people Because they do desire and for no other cause to have such things made good as they themselves pretended sometimes to be zealous and earnest for but now have betrayed into the enemies handâ— if this be not true the Holy Ghost intends them not neither do I. For Civil or Law-Treason besides what was said before in the Case of the King Strafford and the Judges about Ship-money I finde four Acts of Parliament not yet as I know of repeal'd which say thus Be it Enacted and Ordained That whosoever shall declare publish or any way promote any Person to be King or Chief Magistrate of England or Ireland c. without consent in Parliament shall be judged and deemed a TRAYTOR to the Commonwealth and shall suffer pains of death and such other punishments
son Others leaving out Demetrius chuse Antiochus the great father to this Antiochus the vile And a third sort leave it indifferent which bee nam'd So for others applying the little Horn to the Pope One takes it for the excommunication of this King and that Emperour another for the deposing of such and such Now that which I shall say to all is this whether wee consider Kings or Kingdomes named by them they were not any of the ten Horns neither were they broken by a little Horn which grew upon the fourth Beast nor in three years and half neither together and at one time Nor doth it appear by any History that so many Horns more nor lesse were pluckt up by the persons named by them nor that it was the last Horn which grew upon the fourth Beast and another from the ten Horns Therefore I shall propound this to the Reader to bee considered and weighed by him whether England Scotland and Ireland are not three kingdomes and these three at one time as to their Priviledges Laws Rights Freedomes c. broken And whether this bee not done by men who have the Characters of the last Apostacy upon them and such as call themselves a State and Government but never could formally put themselves either into a Kingdom or Commonwealth And whither the time in which all this was done were not as probably it may be thought neer or about the period of the forty-two months But it is likely some will question whether England Scotland and Ireland are three of the ten Horns in the division of the Roman Empire To this I Answer 1 All know that are acquainted with Histories and Interpreters such difference there is among them in the enumeration of the ten Horns whether understood of persons or States that nothing from them can be certainly concluded And therefore I may say and as groundedly granting there were ten disstinct divisions that England was one Scotland another and Ireland a third as others who name either this or that Countrey But 2. My opinion is and so is the judgement of most by ten no precise and certain number is meant but an uncertain and indefinite that is the Roman Empire dissolved into several States and Kingdomes And thus was England one Scotland another Ireland another Neither doth the Holy Ghost I think intend any thing further But many Nations and Countries should withdraw from the Power of Rome and become Independents free and absolute in and among themselves So that by ten many are understood as it is often so in scripture Numb 14. 22. Job 19. 2. Pluckt up by the rootes The Angel opening these words vers 24. saith hee shall subdue three Kings Humiliabit saith Rob. Steven and Pagnim bring them low or humble them as if hee should say three Kingdomes which shall arise after the division of the Roman Empire I would have the reader to consider whether these may not bee England Scotland and Ireland being by the mighty hand of God brought off and raised up from a great deal of Tyranny and arbitrary Poner under which they were enslaved and having obtained much of their ancient freedome rights and Priviledges and in a hopeful way to a thorow Reformation at home and to have been instruments abroad of much good us other Nations in suppressing Tyranny and Idolatry Behold on a sudden out of the last Apostacy as the bottomlesse pit up starts the last Little Horn who humbles them and brings them down under the oppression and bondage wherein they were before or rather more hinders them in going on in the work of Reformation and instead of doing good to other Nations makes these three Countries a reproach and scorn every where Now howsoever this Humbling bringing down may largely bee taken Yet I think the holy Ghost chiefly intends religious things that is this last Horn shall be an occasion of rendring the blessed name of God and the cause of his dear Sonne contemptible to the World The which before was not onely mightily cried up and pretended to but gloriously held forth as a burning light before all people and kindreds and Tongues and Nations In this Horn were eyes like the eyes of a man This may bee taken two wayes 1 Of his Carnal Wisdome worldly prudence subtlety policy making an outward shew to bee a great lover of Laws of justice and Equity and the interest of the People hereby the easier and sooner to effect his own design That he is said to have Eyes and no such thing mentioned of the Ten This I understand comparatively For they did see that is they were crafty and politick yet so as blind to what sight this Horn shall have in all cunning devices Hee will exceed all that were before him both for matter and manner of deceits their craft was shewed but now and then and onely in some of their publick affairs and transactions they studied other things besides carnal policy and carried on some of their Actions without deceit simply and honestly In a word their Policies were but rough draughts at the belt Whereas this Horn whosoever hee be will mannage none of his actions without deceit his head and heart will never bee off from studying craft and for all his projects and contrivements they will be most artificial works But 2. And this I rather take to bee the meaning The Little Horn hath Eyes the other none Here is signified that hee will by a subtle Practice cal'd Religion Liberty of Conscience Gods glory the advancement of Christs kingdom c. set up himself and his own Interest A thing which the ten Horns never saw such eyes will bee proper to this Horn for hee shall joyn himself to the people of God and take part with them against Tyranny and Idolatry as seeing it to bee the way for his own advantage As the Pope Mahomet and others brought their designs to pass by such Eyes to wit religious pretences In the same way will this Horn exalt himself It will not bee so much by carnal Policy and the Wisdome of this World for in this respect the other Horns were not blinde but hee gets power place and authority another way into his hands namely by standing up for And with a good Interest and so gains the hearts and prayers of Gods people and afterwards having what hee desired turns his HORN that is his Power Army and Councel against the holy People and the good old Cause by which he was first raised Eyes of a man Not of an Angel this is added to shew that all the time of his Saint-like carriage and when hee appeared most earnestly zealous for the interest of Christ and his people like another John his heart is not upright before the Lord but is a very Hypocrite even that Fool who saith in his heart there is no God For under all his Protestations Oaths Covenants great undertakings c. The Plot and Design which hee will carry on is how to make
as belong to the Crimes of High-treason The like Act was made March 17 1648. and May 14 1649. Again in July 17 1649. it was Enacted That if any person shall maliciously or adâ—â—â—edly publish by writing painting or open declaring c. that the Commons in Parliament are not the Supreme Authority of this Nation or shall plot contrive or endeavour to stir up or raise force c. that every such offence shall be taken deemed and adjudged by the Authority of this Parliament to be High-treason Treason saith our Law is an offence committed against the Security Anâ—plitude and Majesty of the Common-wealth I am so far from taking the word Traitors for single persons or to apply it to things doubtful that I think the Holy Ghost intends a Combination of men and such as shall most eminently betray both Gospel and Law even Christ and their Countrey But I shall not take the Readers work out of his hand Heady or rash inconsiderate unstable fickle or giddy headed such as suffer them selves to be driven this way and that way by their passions and lusts Dutch Note The word as some think is taken from yong birds which venter to fly before their Feathers are grown or from little children who through their headiness fall and get many knocks When thou hast viewed their actions first and last beginning at their Instrument or new model of Government and consider what that was and how hastily done Their clapping up a sudden peace with the Dutch and making war as fast against Spain What loss we had of men and treasure at Hispaniola the manner how and what shame and scandal the English Nation had by it Then pass over to Jamaica and inform thy self truely what hath succeeded since their arrival Besides how many hundred Ships have been taken from us by the Dunkerkers whilst our Fleet were abroad for what I know not Their throwing of Good Men one while into Prison another while releasing them again without shewing any cause either for one or other Their Creating Major Generals like the Image that was made to the Beast preferring some to high Offices and Places whom they had before publickly charged to be Betrayers of their Country Summoning the Countries to chuse Parliament-men and when they came up sent them home again a hundred at a clap It would take up too much time to enumerate all particulars If these things considered prove them not Heady and Rash this then I would add It may be doubted and I do whether the Later Apostacy be fulfilled in them If any wise and sober man not being one of them can see upon any of their publick Actions wherein the good of the Commonwealth is concerned whereon there is not engraven and fairly to be read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 HEADY RASH AND INCONSIDERATE Either it is so or this is not the last state Apostacy High-minded or puff d up as a Tympany for that sore comes from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat eos qui sibi videntur insignes in re quapiam aut opinione quam de se concipiunt ideo intumescunt The word saith Salmeron signifies men who to their own thinking are famous in their actions and opinion and being thus conceited of themselves are therefore puffed up Some Translators have Câ—eci blinde others Fanatici dementati fanatical and sottish Indeed the word doth signifie one that is blinde and wants his understanding yet conceives that he hath both fight and reason and would have others think so too It is not to be doubted but these men whose Apostacie is here arraign'd for King Craft and Statesmen deem themselves the None-such of the Word and all Ruling men before them Simplicians and laugh at their Commonwealth Notwithstanding if that which they are designing and building be 1. Against God and therefore he shortly will destroy it 2. If that which the Saints are every where praying against 3. If that which was done before by the King against the Priviledges of Parliaments and Liberties of the People 4. If that which the people every day more and more do hate them for 5. If that which may ruine their Families and render their Names odious to posteritie I say Should such be their designe and actions The Question is though highly conceited of their own opinion and doings whether according to the word here they are not in truth BLINDE and FOOLISH STONE BLINDE as the Aethiopick reads it Lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God greedy upon voluptuousness Old Translation The word signifies such as are Friends to pleasures Here Reader consider 1. The Heathenish vanities and sports taken up since this Apostacie was made banished and buried before witness what was done this yeer upon their Lord Majors day though an Independent and Church-member Such lightness and foolery was then as was a scandal to Religion and a grief to the Saints Many poor Christians wanting bread whilst they in wantonness vainly wasted away money see Amos 6. 3 4 5 6 7. 2. Where can we see any of the present Revolters specially if crept up into High Places and Offices whether at Court or in Country but they are voluptuous and given to pleasures yea those which seemed sometimes to be Barzilla's men so mortified to carnal pleasures and risen with Christ as such things were irksom and burdens to them But now who for excess and riot more then they who more then THESE MEN for fine Clothes sumptuous Houses costly Fare and Court-Fashions so that to see them now they are more like Dives then Barzillaâ— In every vanity and foolery as carnal and light as other men Truly I should have wondred to see this great Change among professors how Barzilla's are become Diveses's those who have preached much and printed much against base delights are now the Men addicted to them I say To see this I should have thought it strange but that I know this Prophesie of the Later Apostacy every jot and every tittle of it must be fulfilled Having a form of godliness or formality shew appearance an outward visage Quibus est species reverentiae Dei Junius in whom there is a shew of fear or worship of God Specieminanem sive inane simulacrum Piscator I beseech thee Reader Take notice of the singular Wisdom and Counsel of God who will discover the men of the Later Apostacy in that way which they think to cover their Apostacie How will the Later Apostates being lovers of themselves covetous Covenant-breakers Traytors c. think to hide these Vices so at least to hide them that they may not be thought to be the Apostates foretold in Timothy By having a form of godliness that is by their often praying fasting preaching and practicing Church Ordinances c. And how will the Lord make it known That they are the Apostates there prophesied of By having this form of godliness that is being men so forward for fasting and praying yet living all