Pope yet he could not but allow them this character Whom notwithstanding says he if you ask them concerning their faith there is nothing more Christian if you consider their conversation there is nothing more irreprehensible and they make good their words by their deeds Who would know more of these excellent Christians let him read Paul Perrin And thus admirably is the Prophetick purpose of this first Number fulfilled in the publishing of that Book of the Waldenses A. D. 1120. and within the last Quindenarie of that Number And it is remarkable how in that Age yea less than twenty years before the publishing of that Book all the world was in expectation of Antichrist's being revealed insomuch that Pope Pasâ—…hal himself when he intended for Gallia Cisalpina stopt his journey at Florence being struck with the greatness of the rumour which was understood of such an Antichrist as the ancient Fathers fancied to themselves and the Romanists would seem to believe Which circumstance was not without a Providence that it might be more remarkably imprest upon the capable who it is that is indeed the true Antichrist to whom that Title so often used by the Fathers does of right belong But now for the other Number the fulfilling of its Prophetical Indication is also admirable For not precisely tying our selves to the year 1168. by taking the middle of the six years of the Transgression that maketh desolate for our Epocha betwixt the year 1160. and 1170 and if another Quindenarie were added to it it would break no squares provided that things happen within that Quindenarie upon this Revelation of Antichrist innumerable multitudes of men were awakened as with a Trumpet into the ancient Apostolick Faith whom they called Waldenses Albigenses and by other names but they called themselves Apostolici who stood so sâ—…outly to the Faith that no persecutions which presently ensued could change their minds or make them alter their Profession though about ten hundred thousand of them and that in France alone were put to death if Paulus Perrionius computes right in his History of them And these are that faithful Martyr Antipas who was slain in the lofty Pergamus where Satans seat is as Christ complains in his Epistle to the Church there And they having the priviledge of Martyrs who are faithful unto death it is said here in Daniel Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the 1335 days But this I have noted already in my Exposition I will only add one note more what a childish thing it is or worse to have recourse to the ancient Fathers for a certain and distinct knowledge of these Prophecies of Daniel and there is the same reason for those of the Apocalypse whenas it is thus expresly signified in Daniel that these mysteries touching Antichrist would be sealed up till the time of the end and particularly till the expiration of the 1290 years from the Profanation of the Temple by Antiochus i.e. till about 1100 and odd years after Christ. That the Times of Antichrist were prefigured and foretold by these and such like Prophecies so far the ancient Fathers were right and so far their Testimony stands for us but when those Times would be or who would prove that Antichrist that was left for the faithful to find out by the assâ—…stance of Gods Spirit when the Time of that Revelation by Gods appointment was come which was about the Time of the beginning of the Waldenses and Albigenses But to deny the People of God the assistance of his Spirit to keep up the credit of the Fathers and the Authority of the Church as if we could be assured of nothing unless they tell us it is so is the very dregs of Antichristianism and the very Pit of slime and spawn out of which Antichrist did arise and though men do not so easily observe it a bidding defiance to our very Baptism whereby we are Baptized in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost Which is not to make a mere drie profession of the Triunity of the Godhead but to remind us what a lively faith we ought to have in the Son for his â—…ending the Spirit from his Father according to promise to sanctify us to strengthen us and illuminate us and to carry us on in the process of real Regeneration in which we shall attain to eyes as well as heart hands and feet whereby we shall be certainly able to discern Christ from Antichrist and true Prophets from Impostours And it is no small piece of Imposture in the little Horn that he will permit no other Horns to see besides himself or with no other eyes but his THE Threefold APPENDAGE To the Prophecies or Divine Uisions of DANIEL The First A Confutation of the opinion of Hugo Grotius who makes the Kingdome of the Lagidae and Seleucidae the fourth Kingdome in Daniel The Second The Authours Apologie for his placing the seven Vials within the seventh Trumpet after the Riâ—…ing of the Witnesses contrary to the opinion of Mr. Mâ—…de as also for his making the three days and an half wherein the witnesses lye dead the same with Daniel's three Times and an half The Third His twenty Arguments whereby he does prove that the seven Epistles to the seven Churches are a Prâ—…phecy of the State of the Church cast into seven Interâ—â—ls from the beginning thereof to the last Iudgmeâ—â— A Confutation of the Opinion of Hugo Grotius who makes the Kingdome of the Lagidae and Seleucidae the fourth Kingdome in Daniel taken out of Synops. Prophet Book 2. Chapter XIII 1. THAT Prophecy also in Daniel of the Little Horn that is said to change times and laws is an express Prediction of that Antichristian Opposition which is against the Regal Office of Christ. For that this Little Horn is the same with the Two-horned Beast or the Whore in the Apocalypse I think no man will scruple that considers that this Horn is part of the Roman Kingdome which is decyphered by Ten Horns and that it belongs to that time when the Kingdome is actually Ten-horned which is not in Succession but together as the Tenâ—…toes of the Statue which answer to these Ten Horns do not â—…ignify the Succession of Ten Kings but Ten Kings ranked in the same time as the Toes of the feet of the Image which have not properly a precedency but rather a co-ordination in Site 2. Now thaâ—… the Fourth Kingdome which is prefigured by the Ironâ—…legs feet and ten toes of the Image and by the Beast with iron Teeth and ten Horns is not that of the Lagidae and Seleucidae as Grotius would have it but the Kingdome of the Romans there are these weighty Reasons to convince us First It is the universal sense of all Ecclesiastick Writâ—…rs That the Fourth Beast is the Roman Empire as both Cornelius à Lapide and Gasper Sanctius both of them Jesuits yet do roundly assert The words of the latter are these Est ergò omnium sententiâ innominata
most for the greatness power and riches of the Papal Hierarchy And all the gross and intolerable corruptions of their Church whether touching Faith or Practice are invented or upheld for this very end and upon this very advantage that the little Horn is thought only to have the eyes in matters of Faith and Religion but the other Ten Horns to be stark blind But lastly though this little Horn pretends to the only sight and infallibility in matters of Religion as if it were inspired so from God that it cannot erre yet the very character which the Prophecy gives it doth advertise us that this is but a bold boast among the rest and that these are really but the eyes of a man even of that man of Sin or Antichrist that exalts himself above all that is called God or worshipped For that by this little Horn Antichrist is Characterized is the common and current Opinion of the Ancient Fathers as the Romish Interpreters themselves cannot but confess though they were mistaken in the time of his coming And a Mouth speaking great things that is Uttering great boasts of his own Power and Infallibility For this Papal Hierarchy pretend him as to Superiority to be above all Kings and Emperours as to their miraculous Power that they can by certain words turn a piece of Bread into a man with Flesh and Bloud and all Essentials of humane nature nay into God after a manner and infallibly declare 't is no Idolatry to worship this thus transubstantiated Bread though it seem still Bread to all and is believed still to be so by all but by those that see only by the eyes of this little Horn and so trust his Eyes only and renounce in the mean time the use of their own Eyes and all their Senses nay of Reason and the plain Light of the Scripture Their pretence also of consecrating Images to the effectually keeping off Thunder and Lightning and incursion of the Enemies and the like may be reckoned amongst other their Boasts But this speaking great things may more especially respect the great vaunts of the Papal authoritative Power he being called by the Pontifician Polity Our Lord God Optimum Maximum Supremum Numen in Terris The Supreme Deity on Earth It being declared by them That his Tribunal and God's is all one That his Power is absolute That what he does he does as God and not as Man That he is all and above all That he has the disposing of Kingdoms can pull down one and set up another That he can do all that God can do That he can change the Nature of things make something of nothing make Injustice Justice and Wrong Right That all Laws are in his Breast That he can dispense with the Canons of the Apostles and with the New Testament itself That he is the Cause of Causes That it is Sacriledge to doubt of his Power That he has dominion over Angels Purgatory and Hell That he is the Monarch of the World and exceeds the Imperial Majesty as much as the Sun does the Moon And That he is to be adored by all the Potentates of the Earth This and more than this you may see made good by Bishop Downham in his Treatise De Antichristo for above Fifty Pages together And is not this a mouth speaking great things indeed And is not this part of the Prophecy also eximiously fulfilled understanding by the little Horn that Man of Sin or Antichrist that thus exalts himselâ—… above all that is called God or worshipped whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming Which thing is exhibited in the following part of the Vision 9. I beheld till the Chrones were cast down The word in the original might as well be rendred set down or erected which is the most natural Sense and most conherent with what follows And the Ancient of Days did sit * namely God the Father who though he is not before the other Two Hypostases of the Blessed Trinity in time yet he is in order of nature He sate in his Throne together with the chiefest of the Angelical Orders in their Thrones or Seats to make up the solemnity of the Judgment Whose â—…arment was white as snow and the hair of his Head like the pure wooll Whiteness here by Interpreters is look'd upon that of his Head as an Emblem of mature Counsel and Judgment with a sutableness to his Title of the Ancient of Days that of his Garment as a Symbol of pure unspotted Righteousness and Impartiality in Judgment And this appearance of this first Hypostasis in general in White may denote the proper Character of his Nature Which the Platonists call the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which imply an ineffable Simplicity and Benignity and who would not have the world judged by such a Judge His Chrone was like the fiery Flame and his Whéels like the burning Fire viz. Such was the splendour of his Throne and of the Wheels thereof bright sparkling and shining like Fire and Light This is a Description of the Divine Shechinah not much unlike that in Ezekiel Ch. 1. and 10. This is a Chariot-like Throne as that a Throne-like Chariot and as the Wheels there as well as living Creatures are Angelical so there are Angels here innumerable in this great Session sitting with the Ancient of Days or assisting while he sits in his Imperial Throne drawn with Wheels Angelical Wheels by whose Ministry is the Revolution of all States and Kingdoms Though in the mean time there may be also an allusion in these Wheels to the Sellae Curules Chairs of State that ran upon Wheels in use in the days of old 10. A Fiery stream issued and came forth from before him Flumen igneum manabat ab ore ejus egrediens so Grotius says it is in Chaldaeo A Fiery stream issued out of his mouth The brightness of this appearance and the mention of this Fiery stream coming out of his mouth like that blast of Fire and flaming Breath 2 Esdr. 13. sutes excellently well with that passage 2 Thess. 2. Whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming Which shall be by the clear demonstration of the power of his Spirit so manifestly appearing in his true Church of whom Jesus Christ is and ever has been the living Head the same which is the Son of man which is anon exhibited in this Vision namely Christ together with his true and living Church But in the mean time I leave to the ingenious Readers consideration whether that Fiery stream and Flaming breath coming out of the mouth of the Ancient of Days God the Father may not emblematize the Procession of the Holy Ghost the third Hypostasis of the Holy Trinity as well as the Son of man plainly represents to us the Second For who can doubt but that
of the Vision As for me Daniel my cogitations much troubled me and my countenance changed in me I was so actuated by a supernatural power that my natural strength could scarce bear it which was discoverable in my very countenance grown lean and pale in undergoing this Divine or Angelical Actuation or Impression But I kept the matter in my heart that is I committed it firmly and carefully to my memory so that I might be sure to transcribe it right as being Ingens documentum Divinae Providentiae Praescientiaeque they are the very words of Grotius A wonderfull instance of Divine Providence and Prescience to all Posterity As certainly this Vision and Interpretation is rightly understood and I wish Grotius had so understood it NOTES Upon VISION II. Ver. 4. The last Monarch of the Babylonian Empire How rightly Darius Medus may be deemed the last Monarch of the Babylonian Empire See Thomas Lydiat in his Emendatio Temporum Anno Mundi 3469. Ver. 6. Rather a meer gift of Divine Providence than any Acquist c. Which that in Iosephus Antiq. Lib. 11. c. 8. seems to confirm For notwithstanding Iaddus the High Priest his disobedience to Alexander a little before at which he had conceived a displeasure against him yet when Alexander came to Ierusalem and the High Priest and other Priests and Levites went out in their Habits to meet him and in this peaceable and splendid Pomp to receive him Alexander alone accosting Iaddus in his Pontifical habit and golden Crown with the Name Iehova writ on it bowed himself and saluted the High Priest very friendly Which was a wonder to the By-standers they expecting rather some token of displeasure from him than of that veneration and friendliness Wherefore Parmenio one of Alexander's Captains came privately to Alexander and asked him what was the matter with him that he whom all others so much adored should condescend thus humbly to adore this Pontif of the Iews To whom he answered that he did not worship the Pontif but that God whose Priest he was For I saw says he this his Priest in this habit in Dios of Macedonia which therefore must be his God himself for he could not there appear who while I was deliberating with my self how I might subdue Asia bid me be of good courage and without delay to Ship over my Army for by his conduct I should obtain the Empire of Persia. Which Vision of his in Dios of Macedonia and the meeting of Iaddus the High Priest in the very same habit that that Spectrum appeared to him in made him as he himself professed to Parmenio confident of success And Iaddus which yet further might confirm his hopes shewed him the Book of Daniel I suppose that place in the Prophecy of the Scripture of Truth where it is said And a mighty King shall stand up that shall rule with great Dominion and do according to his will c. Which the High Priest might well interpret of Alexander his present expedition and he in virtue of his Vision in Dios of the God of Israel appearing there to him in the Pontifical habit as he did also to Daniel and S. Iohn firmly believe him As we also from these considerations may easily believe that Alexander's Conquests were rather a meer gift of Divine Providence than the fruit of his own Prowess or Policy Verse 9. Namely God the Father c. So we Christians call this first Hypostasis of the Holy Trinity which the Cabbalists call Kether and from this place questionless of Daniel Attik Iomin Antiquus Dierum See the second Cabbalistical Table in my Philosophical Volume Tom. 1. VISION III. The Vision of the Ram and He-goat betokening the Kings of Media and Persia and the Kings of Graecia Chap. 8. THE Vision of the Image consisting of Four Metals and that of the Four Beasts both of them reached from the Babylonian Empire inclusively to the glorious Reign of Christ upon Earth in his true Apostolick Church in the blessed Millennium Now follows a Vision that insists more largely on some parts of the time of the foregoing Visions namely those of the Medo-Persian but chiefly of the Greek Empire which is like the Method in the Apocalypse Where first in a more general and comprehensive way the state of the Christian Church from the beginning thereof to the last Vial is set out in Chap. 11. and then again the same period of time is run over in the Twelfth Thirteenth and Fourteenth Chapters But afterwards the Visions concern but parts of the same period which are more fully insisted on And so we shall find it here in Daniel that the rest of the Visions concern but parts of the times that are represented by the Image of the Four Metals and the Vision of the Four Beasts And this of the Ram and He-goat here in this Eighth Chapter concerns the times of the Medo-Persian and Grecian Empire only in manner as follows 1. In the third year of the Reign of King Belshazzar King of Babylon and immediate Predecessor of Darius the Mede A Uision appeared to me even to me Daniel Non jam secundum quietem says Grotius sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not in sleep but when I was awake and up and abroad Else if it had been in his sleep on his Bed he would have expressed so much in like manner as before After that which appeared to me at First namely in the beginning of the Reign of Belshazzar Chap. 7. 2. And I saw in a Uision and it came to pass that I was at Shushan in the Palace which is in the Province of Elam He describes the place where he saw this Vision as well as the time when Now this Shushan is that Royal City of the Persians that is called Sâ—…sa in Historians and Geographers a famous City situated betwixt Persis and Babylonia from whence the Country round about is called Susiana But there is mention of this Susa being in the Province of Elam that is of Elymais because Elam is the Name of the Persian people Isa. 21. 2. Go up O Elam besiege O Media Ascende O Elam i.e. Persa tu O Mede invadite urbem c. says Cornelius à Lapide The Vision therefore which so much concerns the Persian Empire Daniel saw upon the spot even in the Province of Elam which denotes the Persians And I saw in a Uision and I was by the River Ulas Which is Vlaeus Fluvius with Historians and Geographers That of Pliny is for our purpose Susianen ab Elymaide disterminat Amnis Ulaeus ortus in Medis medióque spatio cuniculis conditus ac rursus exortus per Mesobatenen lapsus circuit arcem Susorum It rises in Media touches upon Susa and at last exonerates it self into the Sinus Persicus according to Ptolemy as well as Bochartus 3. Then I lift up mine eyes and saw and behold there stood before the River that is he saw externally with his Eyes when he had some charge there under
as well Iew as Christian. But the very number of these Prophetick Weeks which consists of Ten Septenaries of Septenaries or Ten Weeks of Weeks seems not to want its Mystery For a Septenary of Septenaries or Week of Weeks Prophetically understood is 49 years which is the Iewish Iubilee consisting of Seven Sabbaths of years so that every Forty ninth year was as the Septâ—…agint render it their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It was the year of Iubilee wherein whose Lands were gone from him were restored again to him His Lands that were mortgaged as it were before were then released Gratis Now these Seventy Weeks being Ten Jubilees for Ten times 49 is 490 and the number Ten a note of perfection as Alcazar observes what are these Seventy Weeks of Daniel but the most perfect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the bringing in the most compleat Jubilee conceivable that is our being restor'd to our Heavenly Inheritance by the coming of the Messias For this is the main upshot of them Are determined The Hebrew word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is cut out as some would have it implying that immediately after the expiration of these the Iews would into Captivity again But that is a curiosity more than needs and not so conformable to the sense of the Prophecy So that in my apprehension the English translation has the odds of it Upon thy People and upon thy Holy City that is to say Near upon the expiration of the Seventieth Week the People of the Iews shall be no longer the People of God nor the City Holy their Religion naturally ceasing upon some act of theirs whereby a better according to the purpose of God shall be brought in But from the commencement of the Seventy Weeks till that time which is nigh 500 years they should be the People of God and their City accounted Holy which is a fair space of time and ought to be welcome news to Daniel To finish transgression that is To consume Sin and make an end of it For to that end Christ came who baptizeth all true Believers with the Holy Ghost and with Fire or who throughly purges his Floor and burneth the Chaff with fire unquenchable as Iohn the Baptist witnesseth of him And he of himself That he came to pluck up every Plant that was not of his Father's planting And such sure is all manner of sin and unrighteousness But the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may signifie to compleat transgression And it seems as naturall a sense in this place As if the Angel should say Seventy Weeks shall the Scourge be taken from thy People wherein notwithstanding they will again follow their own evil ways and increase their sins to the very height which they did the most notoriously in killing their Messiah And to make an end of Sins Or to put an end to the Iudaical Sin-offerings For so will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is as much as to Seal denotes a putting an end to a thing by fulfilling and compleating it as toward the latter end of this Verse to Seal up Vision and Prophecy the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used And surely Christ crucified on the Cross for the Sins of the World was the complement of all Sin-offerings And to make reconciliatiâ—â— for Iniâ—…uity Or to expiate Iniquity for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies But the sense is much-what the same in both And that Christ is that great Expiation and Atonement for Sin all true Believers are agreed on And to bring in everlasting Righteousness Such a Law or Religion as shall endure for ever and according to which if we live will be our Justification not the works of Mâ—…ses his Law nor those Offerings and Sacrifices Iustitia â—â—terna est Evangelium says Pintus quod 〈…〉 justitiam And I say it is that Evangelium â—â—ternum mentioned Apoc. 14. So that no other Evangelium is to be expected beyond this here mentioned in Daniâ—…l And to seal up the Uision and 〈◊〉 that is To fulfill and accomplish the Prophecies viz. Those great important Prophecies concerning the Messiah So the word to Seal is used Eâ—…ek 28. 12. Thou sealâ—…st up the Sum which plainly there signifies to make full or compleat And the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same that is here and immediately follows Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty So that the vulgar Latin renders this passage very rightly Vt impleatâ—…r Visio Prophetia And to anoint the most Holy viz. The most Holy Person that ever lived For though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be the feminine Gender and may seem to signifie rather Sanctity in the abstract or Res Sancta yet the Iews themselves understood it of a Person Moses Gerâ—…ndensis of the very Messiah And it is used of any thing consecrated to God whether Field Man or Cattle Levit. 27. 28. Besides that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 need not be a Noun of the feminine Gender but be the same that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sanctus as appears from Levit. 21. 7. and Num. 6. 8. or the words there are to be read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore again confirm that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 belongs to persons consecrated as well as things If it had been meant of the most Holy place of the Temple it had in all likelihood been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 might go for the most Holy Place Christ was also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 see Rev. 21. 22. in the most eminent manner imaginable For in him dwelt the Godhead bodily 25. Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the Commandment to restore and to build Ierusalem viz. From the Decree or Command of Artaxerxes Longimanus in the Twentieth year of his Reign that Decree namely that Nehemiah obtained of him who made his complaint to him how the place of his Father's Sepulchers lay waste that is the City Ierusalem and the Gates thereof were consumed with fire according as Hanani had told him Nehem. 1. 3. That the Wall of Ierusalem was broken down and the Gates thereof burnt with Fire Wherefore Chap. 2. ver 1. in the Twentieth year of Artaxerxes his Reign he obtained a Decree for the restoring and rebuilding Ierusalem For the other Decrees granted by Cyrus Darius Hystaspis and by this Artaxerxes in the Seventh year of his Reign concerned only the Temple not the City and the Walls as you may plainly discern by reading of Ezra Whence it is manifest that the Epocha of the Seventy Weeks must be taken from this Decree of the Twentieth year of Artaxerxes But Chronologers and Divines have been discouraged there-from because they could not adjust the time from thence to the Passion of Christ it shooting many years beyond it and so they were content to take up with the seventh year of Artaxerxes from which the Seventy Weeks end in
Spectres as raise them in themselves by the strength and fieriness of their Imagination So that what they see is more properly to be called a Phantasm than a Spectre Vers. 13. Whether they be good Angels c. This controversy Gasper Sanctius pursues pretty copiously and of himself is very much inclining to conclude against the authority of the antient Fathers that the Presidentiary Angels of the Nations of all but that of the Iews were downright Devils The two chief arguments are First That the Devil is said to be the Prince of this world Iohn 12. 31. Now shall the Prince of this world be cast out And St. Paul Ephes. 6. 11. For we wrestle not saith he against flesh and bloud that is against Men onely but against Principalities against Powers against the Rulers of the darkness of this world of this world of darkness an usual Hypallage this world comprised within the caliginous Air against spiritual wickednesses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so it is to be read according to the Syriack version cum spiritibus malis against wicked spirits in high places 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same version has it qui sunt sub coelo viz. in the Air for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 often signifies out of the Hebrew Which passage of Saint Paul suits excellently well with this Hypothesis of Presidentiary Angels in Daniel But whether all Angels that are Presidents of the Nations besides such as belong to the Church of God be downright Devils is the controversy And these two Scriptures are the first argument for the Affirmative That since the Devil is said to be the Prince of this World in distinction to the Church of God and that in bringing the world into subjection to Christ the Apostles fought against evil Spirits that had the Rule of this dark World that were the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Chieftains Presidents and Emperours of it that it is hence apparent that the Presidentiary Angels suppose of Persia and Greece were Devils The second argument is from the contest of the Presidentiary Angels of Grecia and Persia with Michael and Gabriel and indeed with Palmoni himself which is the other argument which Sanctiâ—…s brings and pursues with that tightness in answering all the evasions of the adverse party that I must confess I do not wonder that he is so much inclining to this opinion of his That these Presidentiary Angels of Greece and Persia were Cacodaemones as he calls them downright Devils rather than good Angels Though it is hard on the other side to conceive that mere Quintessential Devils such as consist onely of envy pride and malice and pursue evil for evils sake should be Presidents over Nations Wherefore in respect of such Devils as these we may with the Ancient Fathers conclude them to be good Angels but in respect of that more holy and divine grace such as Christ was anointed with in a measure far above his fellows but such as by his means all of his Kingdome properly so called in some measure partake of and are expresly and from the root of their life the Sons of Light and Love we may I say comparing those Presidentiary Angels of Greece and Persia with these of Christs Kingdom conclude them not to be good Angels but Devils If any one will adventure to say That there is some such Analogy betwixt Michael the Presidentiary Angel of Iudea and the Presidentiary Angel of Greece or Persia as there is betwixt the most holy and most regenerate Christian King or Emperour and some other Emperour or King that is neither styled Christian nor is regenerate haply he may not be much out of the way But I leave to every one to think of such things as these in such a way as will be with most ease and satisfaction to himself provided he shrink not from the belief of that which is so manifest here on Daniel viz. that there are Presidentiary Angels over Nations and Countreys Vers. 20. For so praeliari is taken in Cicero Epist. 13. ad Attic. Lib. 1. Quomodo ego minus quà m soleam praeliatus sim and within a line or two after Ego enim quamdiu Senatûs Authoritas mihi defendenda fuit sic acriter vehementer praeliatus sum ut clamor concursúsque maxima cum mea laude fierent And a little afterwards persisting in the same Metaphor and bragging quà m fortis esset which also is a military expression Dii Immortales says he quas ego pugnas quantas strages edidi So easily is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Seventy render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 understood of dispute or arguing the case whence the Disputative or controversial Divines are also called Poleâ—…icall VISION VI. Which is the Vision or Prophecy of the Scripture of Truth which reaches from the second verse of the eleventh Chapter to the end of Daniel 2. AND now will I shew thee the Truth that is Now will I declare unto thee things to come in a plain intelligible way touching the Kingdomes of Persia and Grecia and also the Roman Empire not resembling the first to a Bear or Ram the second to a Leopard or Goat and the third to a monstrous Beast with Iron teeth but delivering the matter without any Prophetick Aenigm or Parable you shall hear from me the bare Truth in easy and vulgar words Behold there shall stand up yet three Kings in Persia viz. Cambyses Smerdis and Darius Hystaspis which that particle yet seems to imply as if it should hint to us that they are three beside Cyrus the then present King of Persia so that Cyrus is not to be taken into this reckoning And the fourth shall be far richer than they all Which fourth is Xerxes the same who is called Ahasuerus in the book of Esther who married Esther the Iewish Virgin and Herodotus records the name of Xerxes his Queen to have been Amestris which manifestly has the sound of Esther in it whatever the syllable Am prefixed may signify whether it be from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Sol her beauty being such an Inflammatory to love or from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mater For such in a wonderfull manner was she to her Countreymen the Iews whose lives she saved from the malice of Haman which was no less to them than their mothers did for them that first gave them their lives But if we are to read as Ioseph Scaliger would have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that there is the like composition of the name of the Father of Aman viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is not so consistent with our former conjectures but what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the composition of those two names signifies neither Scaliger nor any one else I know can tell us However so be that Esther be but acknowledged to sound in Amestris Xerxes his Queen I am content Now for the riches of this Xerxes or Ahasuerus all Histories ring of it and the Book
Defenders Guardians Helpers as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is very often rendred in the Scripture The Septuagint five times in the Psalms render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mahoz 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the vulgar Latin as often Protector See Mr. Mede his Apostasie of the latter times ch 16. part 1. There can be no doubt of the sense of Mahuzzim in this personal signification And in the other two places where Mahuzzim are named though it were translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Walls Towers Bulwarks and the like yet the persons of the Saints or Daemons are easily understood thereby forasmuch as the antient Fathers gave those very names to the Saints in reference to their reliques disposed of in this or that Church or Monastery I will onely add one citation of Mr. Mede's out of Theodoret who calls the holy Martyrs Guardians of Cities Lieutenants of Places Captains of men Princes and Champions c. which are plainly Military terms and so leave the Reader to see the rest in that excellent Authour in the abovesaid place But hence it is plain how wonderfull easy and naturall the Exposition of this place of Daniel is Vers. 45. Or the Hill of Sabi Kodesh of the God who is called his holiness That the Pope affects a kind of Divinity was the complaint of Frederick the second and how he is twice placed upon the holy Altar which is the proper Throne of the body of Christ after his Election and at his Coronation you may see in Laurentius Bank his Roma Triumphans and what adorations are done unto him And in the Gloss of the Canon Law the Pope is called Dominus Deus noster Our Lord God as Bishop Downham has noted in his De Antichristo lib. 4. cap. 10. And there are many passages to that purpose in their Canonists and Theologers who think fit to give all the names to the Pope that are given to Christ to assert his Primacy over the Church Powel De Antichristo lib. 1. c. 15. thes 32. And therefore Sabi which no man can deny to be justly given to Christ may be given to the Pope And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Septuagint render Ierem. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God Omnipotent suits excellently well with what the Canonists call Omnipotentiam Pontificiam the Omnipotency of the Pope In Papa omnem esse potestatem supra omnes potestates tam Caeli quà m terrae which Bishop Downham cites as the saying of an Arch-Bishop of that Church in a publick oration of his in the Lateran and there are several to that purpose as you may see them cited by Bishop Downham and by Gabriel Powell in their Books De Antichristo So that the Pope is a Sabi Sabaoth indeed and take it in the most military sense he is as one predicted of him that Rex Superbiae cui paratur sacerdotum exercitus that King of Pride with his Army of Priests of severall ranks and as well ordered as themselves will not stick to acknowledge as an Army with Banners So little unfitness is there that the Pope should be called Sabi Scoptically by the Prophet he in the mean time in good earnest foretelling how immensly he would extoll himself and be extolled by his own But Kodesh is added that there may be no mistake and that we may understand that the same Sabi is not here meant that is meant vers 41. where the land of Iudaea is called the land 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of that true and eminent of that solid not tumid Sabi even of the God of Israel himself But here this Hill the Hill Coelius in all likelyhood where the Popes proper Imperial Palace is and Chair of State whose feet are as high as the top of the Emperors Chair and other great Princes is onely called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Hill of Sabi not of that true and eminent Sabi the God of Israel Kodesh I say is added that no man may miss of who is meant thereby namely his Holiness of Rome For this is his known Title nothing more celebrated And that it may be the Title of a man notwithstanding it is the feminine gender and in the abstract Cornelius à Lapide very well makes out upon Dan. 9. 24. where says he Sanctitas Sanctitatum the most Holy is to be understood of Christ not of the Temple and signifies no more than Sanctus Sanctorum or Sanctissimus Sic Pontificem says he vocamus Sua Sanctitas that is Sanctissimus Dominus and Gasper Sanctius on the same place speaks to the same purpose What can be more easy or plain So manifest is it that no Grammatical or Critical violence is done to the Text by thus expounding of it but by the coherence of things and of the Context the place thus expounds itself By rescuing the Hill and consequently the City c. I do not love to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a messenger of ill news to any but this is more tolerable and less affrightfull it being of a thing in all likelyhood so far off But whether this be not the natural and easy sense of this passage in Daniel I appeal to any unprejudiced Reader And it is no more than has been threatned to old Rome as well as it has happened to new Rome already namely to Constantinople by men of their own Church that their City would be destroyed by reason of the wickedness of their Clergy So St. Bridget St. Catharine of Sienne Abbot Ioachim and others have denounced against them and some of their being overrun by the very Turk But of all predictions of that kind none seems more considerable than that which Bartholomaeus Georgivitz a zealous Pilgrim of the Roman Church and one who was a slave for some thirteen years in Turky delivers in his Epitome De moribus Turcarum Cap. 3. as a Prophecy of the Turks themselves to this sense That after their Emperour the Grand Senior has taken the red Apple if at the seventh year of his Reign the Christian sword does not advance he shall rule unto the twelfth but after the twelfth year that he shall have won the red Apple the Christian sword shall appear and put the Turk to flight Which is an odd Prophecy amongst the Turks and the more considerable in that it seems so impartial as to declare against themselves But what this Red Apple should be saith Georgivitz is a question amongst the learned of them there being a various reading in the Prophecy either Kusul Almai which signifies a Red Apple or Vrum Papai which may indigitate says he the Patriarchacy of Constantinople Vrum signifying the Greek forasmuch as all Greece was once under the Roman Empire otherwise Vrum would more immediately signify Roman but taken in that other sense Constantinople would be aimed at But it is so long since Constantinople was taken that Vrum Papai will either signify the seat of the Pope of Rome or else must be excluded for