that they demand not the figne of his spiritual coming to inlarge his Church but of his personal coming to the last judgement for they say What shall be the signe of thy coming and of the end of the world and I doubt not but you will confesse he will come in his own person at the end of the World to judge both the quick and the dead And for our Saviours answer unto their question in the 30 th ver he useth not the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but he tels them the signe of his coming which I conceive to be not the signe of the Crosse as some Papists foudly imagine but as our Bibel notes upon the place do say the exceeding glory and Majesty of his coming that shall be as the light which precedeth the rising of the Sun and the sorrowes and mournings of all the kindred of the earth for fear of that great and terrible judgement which formerly thy regarded not and now they see so neerely approaching and they must undergo it and then he sheweth the manner of his coming how they shall see the Son of man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 coming in the clouds of heaven just as the Angels say he shall come Act. 1.11 with power and great glory Act. 1.12 and therefore I am confident that whosoever transferreth either this question of the Disciples or this answer of our Saviour wherein he useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to any other coming of Christ then to his last and personal coming to judgement I may justly say with Pet. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they wrest or as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifieth they do stretch them as shoo-makers use to stretch their leathers with their teeth 2 Pe◠3.16 that they may reach to be nailed upon their last so do they stretch the Scriptures to make them reach to make good their own fancies And so Maresius proveth at large against Grotius that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth constantly almost in every place Maresius in dissertatione de autichristo pag. 43. signifie the coming of Christ to the last judgment and to prove the same he quoteth Mat. 24.3 and Exo. c. v. 36 37. 1 Cor. 15 23. and saith sic non alia significatione usurpatur 1 Thes 2.19.3.13.4.15.5.23 Jacobi 5 7 8 2 Pet. 3.4 1 Jo. 2.28 and then addeth that semel tantum ali◠sensu extat propriori Christi adventu in carne 2 Pet. 1.16 the which place I have so expounded to you before Hereby then it remaineth clear that though the Antichrist his strength and government shall be dissolved the feircenesse and violence of his persecution abated and the combination of his members and adherets vntwisted and they made to vanish away and to be scattered and brought to nothing very easily with the breath of Christ his mouth as we have seen a word of the Lord general that Christ used as his instrument hath blowne away the members of the long Parliament yet the whole body of the beast and all the members of the Antichrist the generation of these vipers and the succeeding Schollers and disciples of the false prophet shall as they do still continue and oftentimes recrute and gather some kinde of strength though never as they had formerly prevailed to vex and molest the Church and the true servants of Christ until he that sat upon the white Cloud and had on his head a Golden Crowne and in his hand a sharpe Sicle and that is the Son of man Christ Jesus in his pure and unspoted humanity shall come to reap and to cut down all the wicked persecutors of his servants and prophaners of his service And this also seemes most manifest unto me To think the Autichrist to be one single persone is the ground of many errors because the Holy Ghost saith that in the great battle betwixt the beast and the Lamb which you must not literally understand for any pitched Field betwixt Christ and the Antichrist or betwixt the Soldiers of Christ and the followers of Antichrist which is the error of them that understand the Antichrist to be but one single person and is the ground and foundation of many other errors but we must spiritually take it for that continual opposition that the beast maketh to the honour of Christ and to the service that the true Saints do render unto him which is the warfare of the christians the beast and the false prophet are said to be taken alive Rev. 19.20 and not killed but cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brymstone for so the Scripture saith that all the wicked which remain upon earth when Christ cometh to judgement shall be taken alive and shall be cast alive into that burning lake And I do likewise conceive this to be fully confirmed by the words of our Saviour Christ when he saith this generation shall not passe Mat. 24.34 till all these things be fulfilled for by this generation we must not understand all the people that were then alive because all those things that our Saviour spoke of were not fulfilled within the age of the longest liver of all them that were then alive when Christ spake this as specially the preaching of the Gospel to all Nations ver 14. and the signe of the Son of man in Heaven ver 30. and the mourning of all the Tribes of the earth and the like that came not all yet to passe but by this generation we must understand This generation shall not passe what it signifieth either the generation of Gods Children and Christians that then began to believe in Ghrist or the generation of vipers the successive brood of Christs enemies and the members of the Antichrist that then began likewise to spring as the Apostle sheweth of the mysterie of this iniquiy should not passe away and be destroyed 2 Thes 2.7.1 and quite hindered to prophane his service and to persecute his servants but should be suffered to be as the tares among the wheat untill they see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory v. 30. for it is well known that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth not only atas or seculum an age but also Gens Natio Progenies a Nation or Progeny as where our Saviour saith Matth 23.36 Verily I say unto you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all these things shall come upon this generation that is the nation of the Jewes and again the Son of man must be first rejected 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à Gente ista saith Beza of this Nation And therefore Saint Chrysostome applyes these words of Christ This generation shall not passe away Genti Christianae to the generation of Christians which he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the generation of them that seek the Lord and I apply it here both to the generation of the ungodly reprobates and wicked persecutors and also to
say that we must understand not only the name Jehova and Lord and God and the other usual and proper titles and names of God which S. Hierome and others have collected out of the Scriptures but also any other thing that discovereth and maketh God known unto us as his works his word his titles his attributes and the like because God hath no proper name that can make him known unto us or fully express his nature and his being as God himself saith unto Moses Exod. 13.14 when he desired to know his name that he might thereby know him So whosoever denyeth the things and rejecteth the words notions and expressions that bring us to know God or to know the Father and the Son to be the true God doth therein and thereby deny God and is as the Apostle saith the great Lyar and the Antichrist that denyeth the Father and the Son Leber Secundus CAP. I. The measuring of the Temple the two Witnesses that should erect and build the Christian Church who they are how long they should Prophesie how they should be killed and used after their killing how they shall be resuscicated and revived and in what time they shall be revived after they be killed and of the great mystery of God what it is and when that shall be finished OUr loving Lord and Master Jesus Christ having left us here on earth was not like Pharoahs Butler so unmindfull of us as we are of him when he was glorified in Heaven but he sends his Angel to informe his best beloved Desciple and Servant Ichn of those chiefest afflictions and persecutions that the Christian Church should find and must so undergoe here amongst the Sons of men from that time that the Angel came unto him untill he should come to judge the World and to deliver his distressed Servants out of all their troubles To what end Christ foretells the troubles of his Church and he foretells us of them that they being foreshewed unto us we might the better either study by our endeavours and prayers to God wisely to prevent and avoyd them or manfully with Gods assistance to undergoe them which might the better and the more patiently be done being expected for to come quia tela previsa minus nocent because expected troubles are alwayes less dangerous and not any wayes so grievous as those that do suddenly surprize us and rush upon us like an A med man and this sad and wofull condition of the Church the Wars and Conflicts that she must pass through and the troubles and persecutions that she must suffer the Blessed Evangelist and Apostle St. Iohn setteth down in this book of the Revelation as the Holy Ghost by his Angel hath shewed them unto him And of all the things that are foreshewed I intend only to handle What things the Author chiefly aimeth to treat of by the assistance of Gods Holy Spirit and to treat in this place what I conceive to be the chiefest things that are observable in the 11th 12th and 13th Chapters of this Book of the Revelation and which are as I beleive principally meant or at least most probably applicable to these very times wherein we live and in all likelihood to this particular Church of great Britany and Ireland that to many men seemeth to be the Stage whereupon all or most of the sad spectacles and Tragedies here in these three Ghapters mentioned are evidently seen acted as they were foreshewed I confess the burthen that herein I took upon me is very heavy and the charge very great and I have often Prayed to the same Holy Spirit The weight of the burthen that he undertaketh that as Daniel saith giveth Wisdome and revealeth Secrets Dan. 2.21 22. and that hath revealed these secrets unto his Servant Iohn that he would be pleased to reveale the meaning of them unto me who without his help can understand just nothing but with his assistance may find out the true meaning of these mysteries which wiser men and greater Schollers without his help cannot do and herein I presume not positively to affirme any thing as Articles of Faith for others to beleive but I only do set down what I verily do conceive to be the true meaning of the Holy-Ghost and say with the Poet Si tu quid rectius istis Candidus imperti si non his utere mecum Now the summe of these three Chapters The summe of the three Chapters that are explained by the Author 11 chap. in brief is this 1. In the 11th Chapter the Angell setteth down to St. Iohn the state and condition of the Governours and Pastors of Gods Church the two Witnesses of Jesus Christ and their fiery tryall their persecution and their suffering under the rule and Reigne of the great Antichrist termed here the Beast that ascendeth from the bottomless pit 2. 12 chap. In the 12th Chapter he sheweth the troubles Crosses and Persecutions of the whole Church and the chiefest members of the same and how that notwithstanding all the malice of Satan and the spite of her persecutors the Church should be assisted and delivered from them all 3. 13 chap. In the 13th Chapter the Apostle describeth unto us the great Antichrist that should most of all persecute the Witnesses of Christ and the false Prophet that should instruct and instigate the Antichrist to proceed on in all his impieties and he sheweth the Combination of these two and of others the chiefest Enemies of the Witnesses and of the Church of Christ First 1. Of the measuring of the Temple and of the Worshippers therein Chap. 11.1 After that the Apostle had eaten 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the little book which the Angell gave him and was told by the Angell that he must Prophesie againe before many People and Nations and Tongues and Kings he saith there was given unto him a Reed like to a Rod or a measuring Pole and the Angel said unto him arise and measure the Temple of God and the Altar and them that Worship therein And we find that this measuring Reed was used sometimes to pull down to ruine and to destroy the measured place and sometimes to build and to reare up the same and some Interpreters whom E. H. followeth do understand it here for the ruine and Rejection of the Jewish people the dissipation of them by the Romans What is meant by the Temple that was to be measured The building of the Church of Christians and the end of their then Temple their Sacrifices and their Religion that was now approaching on and very nigh at hand but I rather conceive that by the Temple of God that was now to be measured we should understand the Church of God that is the Christian Church that was now to be edified to be reared up and to be reduced to a new forme and to have new Ordinances and new Sacraments far better then those that were in the Jewish Temple as Beza
so cryeth and is pained in bringing forth Children unto God and she is likened to Children in respect of particulars that are all the Children of the Church begotten and brought forth by her unto God through their regeneration and new birth by Baptisme and the Preaching of the Gospel and grace of Christ And these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The pangs of the woman and what they signifie pangs and paines of this woman to bring forth her Child may most especially signifie the troubles and afflictions that the Primitive Church endured for the Preaching of the Gospel and converting the Infidels unto the Faith of Christ under the first ten grievous persecutions and so likewise for the troubles that the Church should suffer at any other time and chiefly those great troubles that she must undergoe for doing the same service and work of regenerating children unto God in the persecution of the Antichrist for these troubles and afflictions of the Church are compared by the Prophets to the pain of a woman in travell Esay 66. and Jer. 30.6.7 because the Church will endure as much and as readily hazard her life to beget a Child to God as any woman endureth and hazardeth her life to bring forth her Child into the world and sooner too And our Saviour to shew the greatness of these pangs and pains of a woman that is in travell with Child saith that the troubles of the Jewes which should happen unto them and were as great as any we read of Mark 13.9 as Josephus ben gorion witnesseth are but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the beginnings of their pangs or sorrowes which shall be no lesse then the pangs of a woman in travel so shall the pangs and pains of the Church be under the persecution of the Tyrants and the Antichrist for bringing forth Children unto God very great pains and troubles as that which here followeth will make it more manifest for The Evangelist saith v. 3. 2. The Vision of the Dragon and his malice to the woman v. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there appeared another wonder in Heaven and that seems to be a greater wonder then the former and a wonder indeed every way if we should consider all particulars in very many respects and therefore the Holy Ghost prefixeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and behold it or consider it well for a great red Dragon or as the Greek hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great fiery Dragon Job 1.6 or a Dragon as red as fire appeared in Heaven so he that durst go into Paradise before dares now to go into Heaven and to appear among the Sonnes of God as he is more often and more diligent in the Church of God to hinder our devotion then we are to perform the duties of our Religion and he that was but a Serpent before crawling upon the Earth is now become a great Dragon flying in the Air The Dragon had 7 heads and 10 horns and therefore this sign or wonder well deserveth an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 behold him and take heed of him for he hath 7. Heads harder to be discovered then the heads of Nilus and harder indeed to unhead him then it was for Hercules to cut off the heads of hydra and he had 10 horns and therefore he was of a mighty strength The horn an Emblem of strength 1 Reg. 22.11 because the horn is an emblem of power and strength as Zedechia made horns of Iron and said thus saith the Lord with these shalt thou push the Syrians untill thou hast consumed them and he had 7 Crowns upon his heads that is upon every head a Crown to shew unto us how glorious and majesticall wickedness and the instruments of wickedness would fain seem to be and his tail drew the third part of the Starres of Heaven and did cast them to the Earth What the tail of the Dragon signifieth Who are the Starres by his tayl I understand the fear of him the terror of his sting and the lashing of them far and neere that will not submit themselves to him and by the Starres of Heaven I understand those that seemed to be holy Professors good Christians and to shine like Starres in the Church of God or else those that were appointed to shine and to give light as Starres to them that are in darkness and do walk in the night of ignorance as are the Bishops Preachers and Ministers of Gods word for so the Angel saith unto our Evangelist Revel 1.16 v. 20. that the seven Stars in the right hand of Christ were the Angels that is the Bishops and Pastors of the seven Churches and by the third part of the Stars I understand not the subduing of the third part of the rulers of the world to the empire of Rome as Mr. Mede thinketh for why should the rulers of the world Mr. Mede pag. 35. be termed the Stars of Heaven and to be cast to the Earth when as they were earthly and worldly enough already and had small correspondency with Heaven but a great many as I told you the number of 3.7 and 110 doth often import What is to be understood by the third part of the Starts Let my Reader Judge whether this was not fulfilled in our time both of the Clergy and laytie that seemed to be as Stars in the firmament of the Church for feare of the Dragons tayle to be stung and lasht with the loss of their preferment their wealth their lands their liberties and their lives are pull'd down from Heaven and drawn away from their station and from the performance of their due respects unto the Witnesses and of their duties of the right service of God in his Church and are cast down to the earth that is to follow after the world and for the love of the world and the preferments of the earth to observe and follow any new forme of Gods service and so to become Apostates Meteors and falling Stars and meere Hypocrites in the Church of God which is very much that the Dragons tayle should do such great mischief And yet this is not enough for this Dragon to do to corrupt the third part of the Stars and to draw a multitude of professors from the right service of God to follow after the world and his wicked wayes but he would faine have more grist to his Mill Hell being like the Daughters of the Horse-leech that still cry give Proverb 30.15 16. give and being one of the four things that are never satisfied and that never faith it is enough and therefore he stands before the Woman which was ready to be delivered to devoure her Child saith our Translation when she had brought it forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to eat up her Son saith the originall but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being derived of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pario to bring forth it may be translated her Child as well or as I
suddenly bring Atheisme and all Prophaneness among the people which I beseech All-mighty God of his mercy to keep from his Servants and to turn away this Blasphemy of the Beast against Gods Tabernacle And I may demand if the false Prophet the Preachers and the adherents of the long Parliament have not brought this contempt of Gods Tabernacle in too great measure among the simple people and which very sin I am confident cannot be fastened either upon Jewes Turks or Papists CAP. IV. The Blasphemy of the Beast against the Saints in Heaven the first despisers of them the Blasphemy against the Godly Saints on earth who are the Saints with whom the Beast warreth the successes of the Beast that we ought not to wonder at his Victories what the successes of the Beast should teach us and of the end and downfall of the Beast 3. IT is said that the Beast opened his mouth to Blaspheme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. The Blasphemie of the Beast against Gods servants 1 Perfectos them that dwell in Heaven and this may be understood for two sorts of Gods Servants 1. For the blessed Angels and the Saints that are departed and do now rest and reside with the Holy Angels in Heaven 2. For those holy men that do wayfare here as yet and are the lively members of the Militant Church of Christ 2. Inchoatos Maledicta in Sanctos dicuntur blasphemiae quia Deus in Sanctis maledicitur Cajetan in Thom 22. q. 88. Artic. 5. which warreth against the Beast and which is often to be understood by the name of heaven in this book And the Beast hath not spared to blaspheme both these kinds of Saints whose abuses are called blasphemies because God is blasphemed in them saith Cajetane for 1. Touching these blessed souls that are with Christ I speak not for the invocation and praying to the best of those Saints nor the adoration of their relicks and images for that might well be thought to be flat Poperie and a sin to be punished by the Judges or at least not well to be justified neither do I argue for the worshipping of them no not the blessed Virgin with any kind of Divine worship either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but onely for a reverent opinion and a charitable estimation of them free from contempt and shewed by good words and the addition of some reverent title and honourable Epithite added unto their names as we use to do to the Heroes and noble persons The Parallel Calvinus instruct contra libe tinos c. 9. or our honourable benefactors that are on earth which as I conceive is but the minutest honour that can be given them and yet this is a great deal more then this Beast can afford to bestow upon the most deserving of them for as Mr. Calvin relates of Quintinus the father of the Libertines in France and a near kinsman of this Beast here spoken of adeo petulanter in sanctos debacchabatur he did so insolently rail against all the Saints that he termed Saint Paul no otherwise then a broken vessel Saint John a foolish youth Saint Matthew an usurer Saint Peter a denier of his Master and I heard say that some one of the spawn of this Beast hearing a worthy Preacher citing Saint Augustine replied Saint Augustine Saint Devil and I am sure the adherents of the long Parliament as limbs of this Beast do for the most part hold it blasphemie to call the holy men departed Saints and therefore you shall never hear any of them to say in their Sermons or Writings And Mr. Love gives to Mr. Greenham the Epithite of holy Greenham Saint Peter or Saint Paul but the bare naked nameof Peter Paul John and so of the rest is good enough for the best of them though they can be pleased to give far more honourable titles to their own impure proselites and some of them to become so impudent as to compare their own sinfull mothers with the unspotted mother of God the blessed mother of Jesus Christ whom the Holy Ghost saith all generations shall call blessed as they all do that love Christ except it be this cursed generation of vipers that gnaw out the bowels of their own mother But this contempt of the heavenly Saints The first despi sers of the blessed Saints these new Scholars have learn'd of their old Masters the first despisers of the Saints and Martyrs Leo Isaurus and Constantinus Capronimus that said the blessed Virgin after she was delivered of Christ was like a purse that had been full of gold and that made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an universal Law that none of Gods servants should be called Saint saith Cedrenus Apud Surium to 6.28 and so Steven the Martyr of that time sheweth that the Constantinopolitan-Council of 338. Bishops assembled by Leo Isaurus had proscribed against holy things and had cast away in contempt this epithite Saint from all the righteous men of God and would give no other title to the Apostles and Martyrs of Jesus Christ but as their Disciples do now the bare name of Matthew Mark and the like and thought it an hainous crime to say Saint Peter whereby you see this new practice of the Beast and of his followers that have unsainted all the holy inhabitants of heaven and Sainted all the hypocrites on earth is but raked up out of the old dunghill of these Hagiomastices the Saint-scourgers that I named unto you Yet you hear what the Spirit of God saith that to speak evil of the Saints whom we ought to honour as those that sit with Christ on his Throne Rev. 21. as Christ himself doth testifie is no less then hainous blasphemie and therefore if we will not yield them that due respect and honour that we ow them as the friends of God and as the brethren of Christ and the sons of God and for the manifold good that they have done unto us yet I hope this will bridle all those that fear God from uttering any contumelious speeches against them 2. For the other sort of Gods servants that remain still in the world The Parallel 2. The blasphemie of the Beast against the inchoative Saints that are on earth and reside in the earthly heaven that is the Church militant the Beast termeth them not onely sinners which they confess themselves to be and confess it with grief of heart that they are so bad and can not be better but calleth them also Reprobates Malignants Members of the Beast Sons of the Whore of Babylon Limbs of the great Antichrist and faggots destined for hell-fire And for themselves that are indeed the Members of the Beast they pretend to be the right Saints and the onely true servants of God The strange Divinity of the Beast In the Historie of Independency part 3. p. 29. and therefore they may commit any Act that is a sin in us whom they deem Reprobates and yet
in the eares of the Lord from off the Earth And so all their Narratives of their extraordinary Victories and most fortunate successes in Ingland Ireland and Scotland do not prove them to be the Saints of God nor their doings acceptable in his sight but they do sufficiently prove that they have made Warre with the Saints and have overcome them and as the Prophet Daniel hath typically prophesied of the Beast The Parallel Dan. 7.25 2 Thes 2.3 have worn out the Saints of the most high and they may confirm the faith of those that believe them to be the Beast here spoken of and the great Antichrist that is prophefied of by the Apostle Yet to shew the weakness of flesh and blood and the blindness of frail man to understand and to judge of things the Holy Ghost saith v. 8. that the Victories and successes of the Beast do so far prevail with all that dwell upon the Earth that is all earthly and worldly minded men And as H. Grotius rightly saith morem ejus imitari that they are moved thereby to worship the Beast that is to admire him to adhere unto him and to assist him in all his projects and persecution of the Saints which is done as the spirit of God saith by all those whose names are not written in the Book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the World that is by all carnall and worldly men that are not inlightned with the truth of Gods spirit But I would advise both them and all men else seriously to consider how fearfull is the condition of those Worshipers and assistants of the Beast when as God himself doth testifie they are not in the Catalogue of Gods Children but are bletted out of his Book as Reprobates to be tormented with the Beast in the Lake of fire burning with brimstone for evermore And therefore our good God gives a Caveat to all the Servants of Christ in the next verse saying if any man have an ear to hear that is a will and desire to hear let him hear that is so attentively and considerately that he might rightly understand what he heareth for that is not a matter of small moment and slightly to be passed over but they that have any regard of their eternall salvation or desire to avoid everlasting destruction ought carefully to examine who are meant by the Beast and then seriously to weigh in what sad and lamentable condition the Worshippers and adherents of this Beast do remain in Then for the comfort of the persecuted distressed and subjugated banished Captives and for a just reward and retaliation to the oppressing Conquerours Of the end and downfall of the Beast that is the body of the Antichrist the spirit of God addeth v. 10. He that leadeth into Captivity shall go into Captivity and he that killeth with the Sword must be killed with the Sword for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth and you know the Proverb must is for the King truth it self hath spoken it that it must be so and he hath spoken it often therefore it shall undoubtedly be performed and the Beast shall not rule for ever Let my Reader judge if this Prophesie of the downfall of the Beast be not now fulfilled blessed be our good God for it nor the persecuted Saints be oppressed for ever but the Saints shall be delivered out of the hands of the Beast and the Beast shall be excluded out of his Dominion and shall receive his pay when God the just avenger of all wrongs and specially of all blood unjustly spilt shall render their due deserts unto all the members assistants and adherents of this outragious monstrous Beast in the time that they look not for it onely let the Saints with patience constantly expect it and with faith assuredly believe it even as the Holy Ghost hath said Here is the patience and the faith of the Saints i. e. patience quietly to suffer while they are under the rule and the rod of the Beast and faith undoubtedly to believe the dethroning and the downfall of the Beast which will be but the beginning of his sorrowes when as his greater punishment and destruction is still behind and I shall more fully declare it unto you hereafter Liber Tertius CHAP. I. Who is to be understood by this beast of the earth not Mahomet nor the Idolatrous Priests of the heathen Temple when S. John was banished into Patmos That the Preachers of the antichrist and not the Bishop of Rome and his Clergy but the assembly of Presbiters Independants and Lay Preachers are the Prophets of the first beast when the seed of this beast of the earth was first sown and when it became first apparant in these parts and that this beast of the earth is far worse then the first beast that arose out of the sea THen after that the Evangelist had exprest the forsaid particulars of the seven headed and ten horned beast 4. The vision of the second beast which is as the soul of the Antichrist he proceedeth verse 11. to tell us of another vision how he saw 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 another beast coming out of the earth where the holy Ghost followeth the same method as he did with the Prophet Ezechiel Ezech. 8.6.13 15. to shew him greater abomination then he had formerly seen in as much as the most opposite place to heaven is the earth and is farthest from it and a far baser Element then the Sea so is this beast that rose out of the earth far more wicked more odious and more abominable in the fight of God and all good men then the other that arose out of Sea as the Sequel of what we read in this thirteenth Chapter will make it plain unto you But first we are to inquire who is to be understood by this beast Who is to be understood by this beast of the earth that can be worst then that beast that ascended from the bottomlesse pit and is the same with the great Antichrist And I find some Divines as Rupertus and others that think this beast of the earth and the other beast of the sea to be the same beast that first rose out of the sea Not the same with the beast that rose out of the sea and then was seen again to spring out of the earth But the description of this beast and his actions likewise do so far differ from the first beast that it cannot be the same especially considering the Evangelist saith plainly it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 another beast therefore not the same with the former And yet as the soul and body that are not the same do notwithstanding constitute and make up one and the same man so doth this beast and the other former beast make up the same man of sin and the same great Antichrist this being as the form that as the matter this as the soul that as the body
that place The fixth upon the river Euphrates which is to be understood not literally no more then the other places aforenamed but in the similitude for which the Holy Ghost applyeth it and that is as the great river Euphrates was like a wall of brass to the City of Babylon to preserve it from all invasion so will the Army of the beast the wealth and great riches of the Antichrist that he hath heaped together and the wit and subtlety of the false Prophet be as an impregnable fortress to protect them in all their impiety tyranny and oppression but as Cyrus divided the mighty river Gyndes that fed Euphrates into 360. brookes Hgrodotus l. 1. Clio. and then turned aside Euphrates out of her own channel into that huge poole which was formerly made by Queen Nitocris and so took away the strength and considence of the City and having thus made way for his souldiers he entered and took that great and famous City of Babylon through the Channell of this mighty river so will Christ by the ministrie of the first Angel divide all the strength and take away all the confidence of the remnant of the beast and will dry up or wast all the wealth of his adherents and befoole the wit and devices of the false Prophet and so remove all the impediments that were like the river Euphrates the hinderers of his servants to overthrew the kingome of the Antichrist and to take away his Rule and Dominion and to suppresse his tyranny over Gods servants And when all this will not avail to cause this shaked beast and disjointed routed armie of the Antichrist to return from his unjust wayes and most wicked courses but that three unclean spirits like frogs shall come out of the mouth of the Dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false Prophet which are the spirits of devills working â—â—â—â—cles and going forth to the Kings of the earth and of the whole world 〈…〉 them to the battle of the great day of God Almighty that is a great many lying and deceitful spirits What is meant by the warre and battle that the beast maketh with God and false prophets because the number of three as of seven hath verie often none other importance then a great many shall be still sent forth to everie place to oppose the true service of God to lay his honour in the dust and to suppresse and trample his servants under feet which is all the war that the beast and all his hornes and all other beasts in the world can make against God Almighty then saith Christ Behold I come as a thief that is suddenly and unexpected and he will send the seventh Angell with the last viall of Gods wrath and the seventh Angel will pour out his Vial into the River and a great voice shall come out of the Temple of heaven Revel 5.14 2 Pet. 3.10 Esay 14.4 and from the Throne saying it is done that is the Preachers of Christ shall by the light of the truth tell the people that will not repent the time is at hand that Christ shall come to judgement and that the heavens shall depart as a scroule and the Elements shall melt with servent heat and there shall be an end of all things Then the Son of a man Jesus Christ ere it be long though how long or how soon no mortall man can tell shall come in the glorie of his Father with his Angels to take the heast that shall be then alive and the false Prophet and all his adherents and all those that past away before to make a finall and a total end of them and to throw them into the Lake of sire and brimstone and to render unto everie man according to his deeds to them that by patient conthâ—uance in well doing seeke for glorie and honour and immortalitie eternall life but unto them that are contentions rebellious murderers oppressors idolaters lyars and all such transgressors of Gods Lawes that obey not the truth but take pleasure in unrighteousness indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish and eternall destruction to everie man that doth evill And this is the end of the Antichrist Amen Jamque opus est exegi Et plena jam Margine libri Scriptus in tergo nec dum finitus Orestes But I look that some Alter ater Ecebolius Some bold blind and ignorant Presbyterian Zoilus like an Orlando furioso will run at me as Don Quixot ran against the Wind-mill and like an angry Wasp sting both me and my book animamque in vulnere ponet yet as gold is gold though the Chimick say it is copper and copper is but copper though the deceitful Mountebank say it is gold so the truth of my writings will be found true when their lies and raylings like another Rabsheka will appear of what stuffe they are unto the world si tantus amor if they have such love and longing desire of a rayling digladiation as one of them did against my Book The Grand Rebellion Mr. John Goodwin they may chance to find their mate that may fitter undertake them then it is for a man of my place and calling as leni fluit agmine tibris so will I gently and charitably pray that God would give them more grace to have lesse malice Trini vni deo sit omnis laus honor et gloria in secula seculorum Amen Amen Jehovae Liberatori FINIS
others are of the same judgment and do take the Antichrist to signifie the Papal State and Kingdom and so Bishop Downam Thomson Shelden and many more do say he can be no single and one singular Person but a multitude of men which many of the best Authors do conceive to be made up of single Persons succeeding one another as Hyperius saith and they can be none other as they suppose than Series Paparum the whole Classie of the Popes On the other side E. H. de Antichristo p. 82. E. H. doth constantly and confidently affirm that not only the restrictive Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prefixed to each one of his Names and Titles as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the like but also the things attributed to him and likewise the time of his continuance and many other particular Circumstances and reasons do evince Bellarm. de Romano Pontifice l. 3. c. 2. Montagu appello Caesarem P. 148. that the Great Antichrist can be but one single singular and individual Person and so Cardinal Bellarm. though he confesseth that somtimes this name of Antichrist is taken communiter for any wicked Opposer of Christ and his Kingdom as Bishop Montagu likewise saith and as it is most true yet he averreth that where the Apostle prefixeth the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifieth none or no more than one only single and singular Person because as Epiphanius saith Articuli Graeci contr ahunt significationem ad unam rem certam the Greek Articles do contract and tie the signification to one certain thing Epiphan Haeresi 9. quae est Samaritanorum John 5.43 as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth any man in common but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 noteth this or that singular man And the Cardinal would needs prove him to be but a singular and single Person because our Saviour saith I came in my Fathers name and you receive me not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but if another shall come in his own name him you will receive but indeed here is a Fallacy saith Thomson 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be the Singular number yet the Grammarians tell us that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth another as well as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 noteth the second of any two but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intimateth any one of many and so our Saviour meaneth not here to single out any one only opponent to him Acts 5.35 36. Eusch l. 4. c 6. Dr Abbats de Antichristo but he speaketh of any one indefinitely whether Theudas or Judas of Galilee whom Gamaliel mentioneth or Barchochebas of whom Euseb speaketh or any other false Impostor whatsoever And therefore it is well observed by Dr. Abbats that what our Saviour speaketh here in the singular number indefinitely of any one he delivereth the same thing expresly in the Plural number when he saith Many shall come in my Name Matth. 24.5 saying I am Christ and shall deceive many though our Saviour doth not in this Chapter speak of the Great Antichrist but of those false Prophets that should come and deceive the Jews and so likewise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not determinate any one single Person nor mean here the Great Antichrist but indefinitely signifieth that the Jews which refused to receive Christ would receive as they did any other false Christ that came in his own Name which is the very Exposition of Maldonat Maldonat in Johan c. 5.43 and yet the truth is that as Ecclesia Credentium corpus cum Capite the whole Church of the Faithful the Body with the Head is said to be and is but one Christ as where our Saviour saith no man ascendeth up to Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but he that came down from Heaven the Son of man which is in Heaven John 3.13 where I hope the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 twice prefixed doth not so sinifie the Person of Christ as to exclude the rest of his Faithful Servants his Members from ascending thither but this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Son of man signifieth Christ mystically understood that is That Christ the head and the Church his members are termed Christ whole Christ the Head and all his Members and so taken none ascendeth but he that descended though as St. Bernard saith aliter ascendit quam descendit he ascendeth otherwise than he desended for he descended naked only in his Divinity but he ascendeth cloathed with our Humanity and he descended only as the Head of his Church but he ascendeth with all his Members and his whole Body that is his Church which together with the Head do make but one Son of man and one Christ for so Christ saith unto Saul Why persecutest thou me because in good propriety of speech Acts 9 4. that may often be well spoken of the whole and so understood which is truly proper to any one part as I am ill when my Head only aketh or they have put me into the stocks when my feet alone were set therein And so in Gal. 3.16 Gal. 3.16 By Christ is understood the whole Church of Christ united unto Christ as to her Head And so likewise when the Dragon is said to stand before the Woman that when she was delivered he might devour her Child the Child saith Junius Junius in Annot in Apoc. 12. signifieth Christum quem vocant mysticum id est totum ex Persona Christi velut capite ex corpore cum capite per spiritum adunato constantem that is whole Christ which they call mystical Christ consisting of the Person of Christ as the Head and of the Body as is the Church united unto the Head by the spirit and so saith he the appellation of Christ is taken in 1 Cor. 12.12 Where the Apostle saith as the Body is one 1 Cor. 12.12 and hath many Members and all the Members of that one Body being many are but one Body so also is Christ And I say That the great Antichrist is a collected multitude of most wicked men and an Armageddon which being compounded of cherem and gedud fignifieth exercitus maledictus an accursed Army that as thus Christ our Saviour and the whole Company of the Godly and Faithful Christians are termed Christ so likewise Ecclesia Malignantium the Congregation of the wicked and as Primasius calls them the whole Body of the Devil which are all the Company of wicked Reprobates and ungodly men are in the singular number somtimes termed the City of Babylon somtimes the Beast somtimes the great whore and Jezabel the painted Harlot as if they were all but one woman and one spouse of their Head and Husband the Devil somtimes the Synagogue of Satan where they meet and combine themselves to serve and to worship him and somtimes the Antichrist that is the adversary and opposer of Christ and the man of sin
transubstantiation shewed three waies is from the old received Faith of the Church and from the Divine Truth of God I shall briefly shew unto you 1. From the Holy Scriptures 2. From the Ancient Fathers 3. From pure and sound reason And a threefold cord is not easily broken For 1. Christ told his Disciples 1. From the Scriptures John 14.3 v. 28. Mark 16.19 Acts 7.56 Acts 9.4 Acts 3.21 before his passion that he must leave the world and go to his Father as he was man And St. Mark saith that after his resurrection he was taken up into Heaven and sitteth on the right had of God And so Saint Stephen saw him in heaven standing on the right hand of God and Saint Paul heard him from Heaven saying Saul Saul why persecutest thou me And St. Peter saith that the Heavens must receive or contain or hold him until the times of restitution of all things that is until the last day the day of Judgment How then can he be corporally present here on earth and be still residing in Heaven But to make the Point more clear John 6.53 our Saviour saith except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his Blood ye have no life in you that is none can attain unto eternal life but only those that do eat the flesh of the Son of man and do drink his bloud but all the Patriarchs Fathers and Prophets of the Old Testament and all those Christians that are baptized and die before they receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper The Fathers of the old Testament could not eat the natural flesh of Christ could not nor cannot eat the very natural flesh of the Son of man For as yet in the time of the Fathers of the Old Testament he had not assumed his Body and therefore either all those Fathers can have no life or else our Saviour meaneth it of a spiritual eating of his flesh by the mouth of Faith and not of any carnal eating of him by the mouth of our Bodies But to deny eternal life to these Fathers is most absurd and injurious unto them therefore our Saviours meaning must needs be granted to be of a spiritual eating of his flesh and no thanks to grant it For the Apostle proves it saying that they did ali eat the same spiritual meat 1 Cor. 10.3 4. and they did all drink the same spiritual drink that is as we do now for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them and that rock was Christ whose flesh they did thus spiritually eat that so they might have eternal life And St. Aug. in Johan tract 26. Aug. expounds it in the same manner saying visibilem cibum hoc est Manna spiritualiter intellexerunt spiritualiter esurierunt spiritualiter gustaverunt they understood that visible meat that is the Manna spiritually they hungred after it spiritually and they did eat the same spiritually And of all Christian Children and others that are baptized and die before they receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper the same Father saith nulli est aliquatenus ambigendum tunc unumquemque fidelium corporis sanguinis Domini participem fieri quando in baptismate efficitur membrum Christi Aug de Symbol fidei ad catech to 9. no man ought any way to doubt but that every one is then made partaker of the body and blood of our Lord when by Baptism he is made a member of Christ Therefore the words of Christ are not to be understood of any oral eating of his flesh or drinking of his blood 2. 2. From the Fathers The whole stream of the first Fathers of the Christian Church are against this new-found Doctrine of Transubstantiation of the bread into the flesh of Christ and of the wine into his blood and for the spiritual eating of the flesh of Christ and the spiritual drinking of his blood For Origen saith si secundum literam sequaris id quod dictum est Origen in Levit hem 7. nisi manducaveritis carnem filii hominis non habebitis vitam in vobis litera illa occidit if you follow the letter of that which is said except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man ye have no life in you that letter killeth for it is the Spirit that giveth life the flesh profiteth nothing Theoder Dialog 7. And Theodoret saith Christus naturam panis non mutat Christ changeth not the nature of the bread So Tertullian contra Marcionem l. 4. August contra Adamant Manich. to 6. c. 12. in epist 221. Cyprian de coena Domini Hesichius in Levit. l. 3. c. 2 Amb. de Sacrament l. 1. c. 5. Chrys in Johan Tract 25 26. And all the rest that write of this Point are of the samâ— minde and do expound it in the same manner And so many of the Popish Writers themselves do either ingenuously confess or else tacitely yield unto this very truth for Pope Gelasius saith non desinit esse substantia vel natura panis vini the substance or nature of the bread and wine doth not cease to be and Roffensis yieldeth that the very presence of Christs body in the Masie Fisher Bishop of Roches cont Capt. Babylon Tonst de Euch. l. 1. Pag 65. Ar. Mont. in Luc. 22. cannot be proved by any place of Scripture and therefore sure we need not believe it for any truth and Tonstall confesseth it was no heresie to deny the Doctrire of Transubstantiation before the Council of Lateran And Arias Montanus upon the words of our Saviour this is my body saith it is no more but my body is sacramentally contained in this Sacrament and this we do all affirm and accursed be he that denieth it for we say with Clemens Alexandrinus that duplex est sanguis Domini alter carnalis quo redempti sumus alter spiritualis quo scilicet unctisumus and so the fiesh or body of Christ is understood to be 1. Carnally or corporally in heaven 2. Mystically and spiritually in the Sacrament and in the first sence none did or can eat him but in the second sence all the godly men have and do and will eat him and drink him nam hoc est bibere Jesu sanguinem incorruptionis domini participem esse for this is to eat the flesr of Christ and to drink the blood of Jesus to be partakets of the incorruption of our Lord as S. Clemens saith and as S. August August in Johan saith credere in Christum est manducarc panem vivum to believe in Christ is to eat the bread of life which is the flesh of Christ 3. Reason it self disproveth 3. From reason 1. Reason John 3.9 and is fully against this their doctrine of Transubstantiation For 1. If the bread upon the pronouncing of those words this is my body be turned into the flesh of Christ then the Apostles did eat his body and yet saw it whole and intire before their
themselves to his meaning Genes 11.9 do interpret it but the great city of this world that is in all things agreeable to every particular thing that is spoken of this great Babylon for as that place and city was chiefly called Babylon that is confusion because as Moses sheweth God confounded the Languages of those grand rebells that endeavoured in that City 1 John 2.15 1 John 17.9 to scale the walls of Heavens and as it were to desie God himself so this world is just like unto the same the receptacle of all confusion and disorders and it is one of the three capital enemies of mankinde that we profess in our Baptisme to renounce and that we are charged not to love but still to fly from the baits and the deceipts thereof and John 5.19 for which our Saviour that prayed for his enemies which crucified him denieth his prayer saying I pray not for the world because God hateth all those that work wickedness and S. John saith the whole world all of it lieth in wickedness and will not be raised from it and besides God is the God of order and the whole world is out of order the very babel of all confusion The great Antichrist shall rise in such a place as shall be like Babylon when first it was called Babel Genes 11.79 and confusion is the mother that bringeth forth the Antichrist into the Church and it is the nurse that fostereth cherisheth upholdeth and protecteth him against Christ and against his Church But though the world in General is that great citie whith is meant Revel 17. and elsewhere in that book and wherein the great Antichrist will settle himself yet must he rise and spring in some place City or Kingdome of the world that is not as Rome or Constantinople a Babylon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 respectively but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 simply and transcendently like as the Chaldean Babylon was and in all things resembling her when first she was called Babel the City of Confusion and that was when all the Inhabitants thereof were without any settled just and lawfull Governors or Government among them but were as the children of Israel were in the later time of the Judges Judg. ult and Ver. ult when there was no King in Israel but every man did that which was right in his own eyes and so they did now in Babel they understood not one another they obeyed not one another but when the Master or Governor required one thing they did another and when they called for bricks they brought them straw and so forth And what Kingdome Rome not like Babylon when first it was called Babel City or Church is or hath been thus like Babel without any setled just and lawfull Government or Governors I will not determine but I am sure Rome hath her Governors and the Church of Rome her settled strict and well observed Orders and Lawes which none dares disobey nor do what is right in his own eyes nor preach what Doctrines he please unto the people But in what Kingdome City or Common-wealth soever we see no settled just and lawfull Government but the Governors like pegs driving out one another and settling first one kinde of Government then another of greater power cometh and changeth that Government then a third then a fourth and so forth and the Commonwealth standeth like a windmill upon the top of a hill that must turn with every winde and submit it self to every Government that is most prevalent and where you see the Church without Rulers without order and without Law but every Presbyter doth what he pleaseth and serveth God with what service his own fancy liketh best I believe that City Kingdom and Church doth in all things parallel the first Chaldean Babel and must be if any place be the very seat of the Antichrist and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 simply most eminently and transcendently a Babylon and the fittest place for the Antichrist to reside And so the Antichrist having learnt his lesson divide impera i.e. by confusion and division and setting the Father against the Son and the Daughter against the Mother the subject against his King and the King against the subject the people against their Pastors and their Pastors against the people and so of all the rest he will settle and inthrone himself in that imperial seat of his rule and authority where there is most confusion and where there is no settled just and lawfull Government and this is that Babylon thus mystically expressed by the Holy Ghost and thus clearly explained unto you where the Antichrist shall rule and reign and rage over Gods people even in that place of the world and in that street of this Great City where there is most division and confusion both in the Church and Commonwealth this confusion being his chiefest consolation and the furtherance of his progression and which as the Poet saith Turbabit faedera mundi will soon bring the world out of order and to be ruled as he listeth And now the question is demanded Whether in any other place of all the world you can finde more divisions and confusions and a more unstable unjust and unsettled Government both in Church and Commonwealth then you may finde in these Churches and Common wealths and formerly the Kingdomes of Ingland Scotland and Ireland for though that in this Babylon this place that is so full of disorders and confusion Where discord reigns in realm or town The wicked win the chief renown Plutarchus in vita Niceas pag. 547. you may finde many zealous and religious men that do fear God and mourn for the sin of the Antichrist and abhor all his wicked wayes yet it is demanded if ever there were more faction in Hierusalem in the time of their last siege more Sects in Amsterdam more malice in Rome in the time of the proscription or more corruption in the time of the Pope and more division among the Reubenites and confusion in great Babylon in the land of Shinar than may be found now in this relapsed Church and among the people of these Dominions And for the diversity of Sects multiplicity of opinions and the manifold confusions in the Church it is demanded if the errors and heresies of the Sectaries Presbyters Independents and lay-Preachers are not only published printed and permitted but also cathedrally and autoritatively if not maintained yet countenanced or connived at at the least And if here in the field of Gods Church and out of this Babylonish chair you may not finde any error or heresie that hath been formerly invented and broached by the grand Hereticks and confuted by the Fathers of the Church now again in some place or other and by some Sect or other resuscitated and refined unto the people and whether you may not uncontroulably choose any Religion and be of any Sect either Antinomian Anabaptist Arian Aerian Brownist Barrowist Dipper The manifold
divisions corruptions and confusions that are now conceived to be in the Churches of these Dominions Donatist Cradokist Cerinthian Catharist Ebyonist Eutychian Familist Gnostick Hugonite Hussite Jesuit Libertine Lollard Marcionist Manichean Montanist Millenary Nestorian Nicholaitan Origenist Petagian Puritan Quaker Ranter Sadduce Socinian Seeker Tritheist Valentinian Winterist or if you will Atheist or Adamite or Independant From all these and from all other Seâ—â—â—â—d or new and have liberty of Conscience to profess and be of what Sect you 〈…〉 so you profess to believe in Jesus Christ as all the very worst hereticks did and 〈◊〉 and so you take the Oath of abjuration and renounce popery and 〈◊〉 which are the only men as I see that although they do believe in Jesus Christ as well if not better than any of the foresaid Hereticks are excluded from this benefit and excepted from this liberty of conscience to serve God as seemeth good in every mans eyes And though all these Sects differ one from another and are in confusion The common and joynt practise of all the Sectaries and execrating one another yet all of them do agree to dissociate themselves from the true Professors of the primitive Christianity to tear the Apocriphal Books out of our Bibles to cast away the service Book and to cashier the Articles of our Church and the Book of Homilies they are no Saints if they do not this But for the resolution of the foresaid Questions though I could say much therein Yet I will only refer the same to what you may read in a little Treatise intituled Hell broke loose that so as it seemeth the Antichrist might come forth out of the bottomless pit as S. John saith he should do and to a book of Mr. Edwards intituled Gangraena which is set out at large and three times printed where you may finde very orderly and methodically set down such a ferrago and hodg-podg of Heresies and such a multitude of most horrible blasphemies so odious and so hideous Mr. Alexander Ross in his animadversions upon Mr. Hobbes his Leviathan sheweth how the Leviathan blasphemeth 1. God 1 Errour that my hairs do stand and my heart doth tremble at the thought of them and my soul is very much afraid to name them least thereby the Devil should intice some wicked men that as yet know them not to embrace them and likewise to another book of Mr. Alexander Ross against Mr. Hobbs his Leviathan which Mr. Ross saith is like that beast in the Revelation cap. 13. and that is the Antichrist which opened his mouth into blasphemy against God and his Tabernacle and against them that dwell in Heaven 1. Against God himself and that many waies as specially 1. In saying that God made the world by nature and so by consequence of necessity according to the course of nature whereas indeed he did it voluntarily and freely and might have chosen whether he would have created any thing or nothing for he being liberrimum agens a most free and no waies necessitate agent whatsoever pleased the Lord that did he in heaven and in earth and in the Sea and in all deep places saith the Prophet Errour 2 2. In making the Three Persons of the Trinity the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost to be rather Names than Substances which is contrary to our very Creeds and the Faith that we do profess Errour 3 3. In making Christ only to personate God the Son as if he were not so indeed but takes upon him only that Office Place and Title Whereas in very truth Christ by reason of the Hypostatical union of his Manhood to the Godhead is rightly said to be as he is the Son of God Errour 4 4. In making God with the Manichees to be the author of sin and so unjust if he punisheth us for doing that whereof himself is the author when as the Scriptures tell us plainly he hateth all those that work vanity vide Hab. 1.13 1 John 1.5 much more them that work wickedness and that he is of pure eyes neither shall any evil dwell in his sight he being that light in whom is no darkness at all and that perfect order in whom is no Ataxie or disorder at all Errour 5 5. In making God to be corporeal and a part of the Universe when as Christ tels us plainly God is a Spirit and the Scripture tels us so in many places 2. Against Gods Tabernacle that is his Church 2. The Tabernacle by labouring to overthrow her Faith her Knowledge her Miracles and her Ordinances 3. 3. The Angels and the blessed souls of the Saints Against them that dwell in Heaven that is the Angels and separated Souls of the Saints in making the one but Fancies and dreams that are indeed created substances of a pure spiritual being and the other mortal and not capable of any other happiness than what is earthly which is the greatest discouragement that can be to all Christians 1 Cor. 15.19 and would make them if this were true of all men the most miserable and would be the very poyson of all Piety and vertue And besides all this he saith that the said Hobbes in his Leviathan affirmeth that Faith is not by inspiration or infusion but 〈…〉 and industry that to believe in God is not to trust in Gods Person 〈…〉 confess the Doctrine of the Scripture that our Belief is in the Church The manifold errours heresies and blasphemies that Ross collecteth out of the Leviathan that they â—â—e not Devils but mad men that confessed Christ in the Gospel that Covetousness Ambition and Injustice with Power able to uphold them are honourable that wicked Tyrants and good Princes are all one and no such difference betwixt them that a man may sin against his Conscience that is do the things which his own Conscience tels him he should not do that men should not render a reason or an account of their Faith that Kings and Princes are not subject to their own Lawes that private men have no propriety in their own Goods that our natural reason is the Word of God that divine dreams cannot win our Belief that it was but a wind and not the holy Spirit of God that moved on the waters in the Creation Gen. 1.2 that the Dove which lighted on Christ in his Baptisme and the fiery Tongues which sate upon the Apostles in the day of Pentecost may be called Angels that Christ hath no spiritual Kingdom here upon earth that Christ did not cast out Devils Mat. 3.16 Acts 2.3 but only cured Madness that Satan did not enter into Judas that we may dissemble in matters of Religion and that we may disobey both Christ and his Apostles without sin Such Job 41.20 and much more like stuffe and smoak saith Ross doth this Leviathan send out of his Nostrils as out of a boyling Cauldron and herein contrary to all truth and without shame he raked up the
Beauty is broken the good shepherd is bought and sold and the staffe of Bands cut asunder and the Instrument of a foolish shepherd is used in stead thereof For Lo then saith the Lord I will raise up a shepherd in the Land which shall not visit those that be cut off c. And so 3. 3. The stiles and titles of the new raised shepherds This shepherd is set forth and shewed unto us by a double notion or a twofold name and title 1. Of a Foolish shepherd 2. Of an Idol shepherd And the name of a shepherd may be applied as well to the temporal Magistrate as to the spiritual Priest for to God himself that was and is the King of Kings the Prophet saith Hear O thou shepherd of Israel thou that leadest Joseph like a sheep shew thy self and Christ that is our Priest saith I am the good shepherd and David saith thou leadest thy people like sheep by the hands of Moses and Aaron Psal 80.1 John 10.11 Psal 77.20 so Moses and Aaron were the shepherds of these sheep and so Homer calleth Agamemnon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the shepherd of the people But the shepherd here spoken of is characterized by the name and notion 1. Foolish Mat. 23.19 17. 1. Of a Foolish shepherd as Christ stileth the Scribes and Pharifees Fooles and blind because they perverted and abused the holy Scriptures by their false glosses and interpretation and unjust application thereof and fools indeed Quae major est insania quâ—m pro momentaâ—ca delectatione perd re aeterna gaudia nosmet ipsos obligare ad aeteâ—na supplicia Aug. when for the love of some worldly preferment or for fear of the loss of some worldly honour they leave the right way of serving Christ to serve the Antichrist For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul Or what benefit is it to be glorious for a moment and to be miserable for ever and ever And therefore well may the False Prophets be termed foolish shepherds And 2. This foolish shepherd is termed an Idol shepherd and that as I conceive in two respects 1. In respect of the little or no good that he doth 2. In respect of the great honour that he expecteth and the much evil that he effecteth For 1 Cor. 8.4 Vide Hab. 2.18 1. The no good that they do Psal 115.4.5 6.7 V. 16. 1. As St. Paul saith that an Idol is nothing in the world and doth no good in the world for as the Prophet David saith The Idols of the Heathen are but silver and Gold even the work of mens hands they have mouths and speak not eyes have they and see not they have ears and hear not noses have they and smell not they have hands and handle not feet have they and walk not neither speak they through their throat even so the Idol shepherd doth no good in the world but wholly neglecteth his duty as the Lord sheweth v. 16. As 1. He shall not visit those that be cut off that is 1. So the Presbyterians and Independents do he will not labour to bring men unto Christ but he will rather drive them away from Christ and rather provoke the erroneous than recall them rather thrust them out of his Church than receive them into his Congregation 2. He shall not seek the young ones that is to take the little children the Infants 2. So the Anabaptists do and to incorporate them into the Body of Christ but he will suffer the poor innocent Babes to perish for ought that he will do for them though Christ bids us to suffer little children to come unto him and forbid them not 3. He shall not heal that that is broken that is he will not receive any Offenders 3. So the Presbyterians and Independants do that are broken through the temptation of Satan and the frailty of their own fiesh to be members of his Church and admitted to his flock but though Christ that is the good shepherd calleth all those that are broken and weary and heavy laden to come unto him and promiseth both to heal them and to ease them and refuseth none no not Judas himself while he professed himself to belong unto him and to do him service yet this Idol shepherd is so coy and so supercilious that he will not receive nor heal that that is broken by sin and broken for his sins for he must have no trash in his net no Chaffe on his floor nor any Tares in the field of his Church such a holy Saint is this Idol shepherd 4. So our new Preachers shake the true old protestants 4. He shall not feed that that standeth still that is he will not confirm them that are in the right but rather shake them and amuse them than strengthen and assist them to proceed in the true service of God So you see the little or no good that the Idol shepherd doth unto his flock And yet 2. The great honour that they expect 2. As the Idol requireth all the honour and all the service that may be even the Worship that belongs to God whereupon the Idol service is termed Idole-latria that is the divine worship given unto the Idol and whatsoever the God of Heaven doth the Idolaters ascribe it to be done by their Idols for so the children of Israel say of their Golden Calves these be thy gods that brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt and therefore as the Prophet Habakkuk saith c. 2.19 They deck and adorn their Idols with Gold and Pearles and Precious stones and think nothing too much or too dear that they bestow upon it as it appeareth by those great and inestimable gifts that Croesus sent to that Idol god of Delphos and to the other of Amphiaraus Herodot lib. 1. clio particularized by Herodotus Even so the Idol shepherd looketh for such respect and service to be done unto him such honour such Salarie and such preferment as cannot be thought too much for his desert and therefore the Lord saith that he shall eat the flesh of the fat and tear their Clawes in pieces that is he shall enrich himself with the substance of the wealthy and those that feed him not he will vex and exceedingly torment because he seeks not you but yours and aimes not at the honour of God but makes a god of his belly That this is fulfilled in the Long Parliament And that the Pope did this heretofore it is fully laid to his charge by all them that make him to be the Antichrist Whether he doth so now or no I know not but I am sure the Long Parliament did eat the flesh of the fat and tear their clawes in pieces for they devoured the Livings and the Lands of the King of the Bishops of the Deans and Chapters and I know not of how many Earls Lords Knights and worthy Gentlemen of these
to explain unto you what S. Paul further setteth down concerning this man of sin that is the Antichrist yet because they are not such Characters and acts as are proper to him alone and not also common to his Proselites and Followers and some of them likewise do rather shew his judgment how he shall be destroyed than his description how he may be known therefore I will proceed from those sins doings and demeanour of him whereby St. Paul hath painted and set him forth as I have shewed you in the former Chapter to what the holy Ghost informeth St. John he should do whereby the people of God might by what sins and description of him as St. John setteth down plainly know him and avoid him when he should appear in the world for St. John sheweth many of the very same sins and the same doings of the Antichrist though exprest in other terms as St. Paul had done before the same sins by other names and some other like sins added unto what you heard before because he is not satisfied with few sins And first after that the holy Apostle and Evangelist St. John had said they had heard that the Antichrist should come even as St. Paul told the Thessalonians 2 Thes 2.5 that the Antichrist should come that is a great eminent and transcendent Antichrist he addeth that now that is in his time there were many Antichrists that is of a lower form and of lesser mischief than the great Antichrist would be even as St. V. 7. Paul likewise told the Thessalonians that the mystery of iniquity had begun to work in his daies that is by the ministry of those Hereticks and false hypocritical Professors that abused the truth of their Christian Profession then the Apostle St. John distinguisheth betwixt the true Christians and those false dissembling Professors that were those many Antichrists that he speaketh of and the forerunners of the great Antichrist St. John sheweth there be a sorts of Antichrists and he sheweth how the true Christians might be discerned and known by the unction or the anointing of the true Christians with the Grace of Gods holy Spirit whereby they came to know to confess and to profess the truth that is the Faith and truth of our Christian Religion and on the other side he doth say and positively affirm that the denial of this Truth by the hypocritical Professors in the main head that is to deny Jesus to be the Christ is the proper note and the undeniable mark and Character of the great Antichrist which is the head of all the other many inferiour Antichrists that are all destitute of that Unction whereby the true Christians do believe and confess Jesus to be the Christ let them make what Profession soever they please of their Faith and Christian Religion yet indeed they are no true Christians but the great Antichrist if they deny Jesus to be the Christ For saith the Evangelist and that by an Interrogation which is the strongest asseveration that can be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 John 2.22 that is Who is the Lyar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ he is the Antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son Here is the full description of the Antichrist two things observeable Touching which words you must observe these two special things 1. Two things observable That St. John calleth the Antichrist a Lyar. 2. You are to understand what his Lye is 1. St. John sheweth us plainly herein that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great Antichrist is a great Lyar 1. That the Antichrist is a Lyar 2 waies 1. By belying his Christian Profession and in that he is a Lyar it implyeth two special things 1. That he is an hypocritical and apostate Professor 2. That he is a crafty and cunning deceiver of the poor people As 1. It is apparent that the Antichrist is an hypocritical and an apostate Professor such as the other lesser antichrists that have been with us and went from us are For this great Antichrist will make a great profession of Religion as if he were the only Saint and the best Christian upon the earth that hath the greatest care that can be of Gods Service for the observing of his Sabbath and the preaching of his Word and the refraining from all Swearing and the like and yet all is but a great Lye only for an outward shew and no more when he speaks that with his tongue which he cares not for in his heart Rev. 13.11 and therefore he is said to speak like the Dragon And why like the Dragon Because that as the Dragon flattered Evah with many great and fair promises to make them like gods and to fill them with knowledge both of good and evil yet all were but lies and every word against his Conscience that knew well enough the listning to his voice and believing his Words would make them like devils so will the Antichrist flatter and fawn promise and profess great matters and make you believe he is a Saint and will bring you all to Heaven when with the Dragon he tells you nothing but lies and leads you straight to Hell And therefore doth St. John say that he is a Lyar that belyeth his own Profession Whether the Parliament members and their adhereÌ„ts did not bely what they professed let the Reader judge And it is demanded whether the Long Parliament Proselites and adherents did not even the like and follow the very same course as the Antichrist is said he should do and prove themselves such Lyars as he should prove himself to be For did they not profess themselves to be the truest Saints the best Christians and the purest Church of Christ that is or that men do know here on earth and that there were no Tares in their field no Chaffe in their floor no Trash in their Net and nothing but Gold on their foundation Psal 26.4 5. And do they not say that they hate the Assembly of the Malignants neither will they sit among vain persons And besides all this have they not tanquam Deus as God and chief ordâ—iner and ruler of all Church-matters rejected cashiered and abolished the formerly established Orders and Ordinances of the Divine Service and as Christ when the old Covenant of works and Legal Ceremonies was to be expired and those rites were to be nullified and done away Heb. 8.9 did in the stead of it set up his new and better Covenant of Grace as the Apostle sheweth So have they not devised and set forth a new and as they say a better Directory than ever was before that is a new form of Divine Worship new Canons of Gods Service and a Service of the new fashion such as neither we nor our Fathers did ever know the like and far better than ever they had and for the observance of that Directory have they not made stricter Ordinances and imposed severer punishments
the Son and by rejecting and denying Christ that is the Son they reject and deny him that sent him that is the Father and so by denying hindering and suppressing these substitute officers of Christ that they shall not live to execute their office they reject and deny both the Father and the Son because these master and servant Christ and his Deputies as Kings and their Embassadours are Relatives and so indissolubly knit together that you can neither oppose suppress nor deny the one without the other and therefore quia per latera nostra Christus petitur because Christ is thrust at and wounded through our sides that are his servants Act. 9.4 he saith unto Saul Why persecutest thou me when he neither did nor meant any hurt to the person of Christ that was in heaven but abused and persecuted his servants that were on earth which is the true meaning of the Apostle in this place or otherwise if you expound these words literally of him that by denying the Son to be essentially one God with the Father denyeth the Father to be a God because the Father and the Son are so essentially one that no man can deny the one but he must deny the other then cannot this speech of the Apostle be properly applyed to the Antichrist because that if such a denyer of the Son to be one with the Father be the Antichrist you may finde many thousands of the Antichrists in the world But of such as profess to honor the person of Christ Let the Reader judge whether this be fulfilled in the long Parliament that is in heaven and yet quite deny suppress and extinguish his Deputies and Officers that should execute the Offices of Christ here on earth we shall finde none but the great Lyar that is the Antichrist will do the same And whether the long Parliament did thus deny the Father and the Son by denying them that the Son hath sent as the denyal of him whom the Father hath sent is a denyal of the Father as well as of the Son let the judicious Reader judge 2. 2. Way The great Lyar may be said to deny the Father and the Son when he professeth to believe in the Father and the Son and yet denyeth with the Arians Nestorians Eutychians and other old Hereticks the termes and rejecteth the notions and expressions whereby we come to understand and make the people likewise to have some competent measure of knowledg in the great Mystery of the holy Trinity how the Father and the Son and so the Holy Ghost are the only true God as our Saviour saith John 17.3 John 17.3 the which thing the Pope never did I am sure of it But whether the long Parliament Divines and their Proselites the false prophet 1 John 2.19 and the Independant Apostata's that are such Antichrists as the Apostlespeaks of that went out from us and were not of us and such sons of the Church Whether the Assembly of Presbyterians and Parliament Preachers may not be said to deny the Father and the Son let the Reader judge as S. Bernard speaks of Filii nequam filii scelerati qui scaeviunt in matrem do not thus deny the Father and the Son when they reject and refuse the words Essence person unity Trinity and the like words that totidem syllabis cannot be found in the Scriptures and do likewise cashier and exclude from Gods service the Gloria Patri Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost and cast away from all use that most excellent Hymn Te Deum laudamus te Dominum confitemur and others the like holy Hymnes and expressions of our Faith which S. Ambrose S. Augustine and other godly men and after them the whole Church of God Penes quam norma loquendi that hath the power to coin words to explain the truth have ever used to bring her children to some understanding and a competent measure of knowledge in that great and ineffable mystery of Godliness which is the unity of the Godhead in the Trinity of persons and è contra the Trinity of persons the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost in the unity of Essence or Godhead and to make the weaker Christians and the weaker Divines the better able to answer and to confute those wicked Hereticks that are alwaies ready to arise as now they do to deny the truth of these holy Mysteries let the wise and experienced Divines judge hereof For the Apostle meaneth not as I said before that he which in plain termes and with spen mouth denyeth the being or the God-head of the Father and of the Son is the Lyar and the Antichrist but as the crafty fool that durst not say it openly yet cunningly and secretly saith in his heart There is no God Psal 53.1 and 14.1 is a meer Atheist though he never uttereth that atheistical wickedness with his mouth so are they meer Antichrists and great Lyars that say they do believe these Mysteries and yet secretly and maliciously deny the Father and the Son though not directly yet by infallible consequences when they deny those notions and expressions whereby we come to know the Father and the Son though they profess the contrary in their words which makes them to be the Lyar because they say one thing and do another that is still the propertie of the Antichrist to do just so as they do And therefore Let the Presbyterians think of this and repent seeing he is the Antichrist that denyeth the Father and the Son as the Apostle saith and that he which denyeth and rejecteth them that are sent denieth and rejecteth him that sent them as our Saviour testifieth and that they also which deny the notions and expressions whereby we come to know the Father and the Son do by consequence and in very deed whatsoever they say to the contrary deny the Father and the Son it must needs follow that the deniers and suppressors of them that are sent by Christ and the diniers of those notions and the rejectors of those expressions whereby we come to know the Father and the Son must be the great Lyar and the Antichrist from which charge though I accuse them not yet I know not how the Assembly of the long Parliaments presbyterian Divines will excuse themselves and be quitted cum surrexerit ad judicandum Deus when the Son of God shall call them to an account for it let them think of it in the interim For What is to be understood by the name of the Lord our God as he that denieth my name whereby I am made known denieth me and he that denieth his own name denieth himself because his name is the chiefest note that makes him known and as when the Lord saith Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain because his name is that which chiefly makes him known to us and by his name there all Divines
dasht in pieces the Altars or Communion-tables shall be trampled upon the Bibles torn and burnt the Chancels made stables and the whole service of the holy Church neglected contemned and prohibited the which things I suppose may very well be said to be a treading of the holy city underfoot for so the Angel saith the holy city shall be troden under foot fourty and two months Rev. 11 2. c. 11. v. 2. And here verse 9. he saith the witnesses shall lie unburied three days and a half which if you take a day for a year as Junius Bellarmine and most Interpreters do they do sunchronize and agree just with the fourty two months which do make up the three years and a half that the holy city shall be troden underfoot to shew unto us that while the witnesses lie without their honour and are suppressed the King disobeyed and rejected and the Bishops dethroned and despised the whole Church and people of God that would truly serve him and respect his Vice-roes and reverence his Messengers shall likewise be neglected despised and abused as we have most apparently seen it here amongst us how many good men have been despised and abused ever since the King and the Bishops have bin suppressed But though nocte pluit tota yet redeunt spectacula mane albeit heaviness may last for a night yet joy cometh in the morning for God is so good and so gracious that he will not alwayes be chiding nor shut up his loving kindness in displeasure Psal 30.5 especially towards those that serve him and to the uttermost of their power discharge their duties and therefore the Angel informeth our Apostle that after 3. dayes and a half which I conceive is not precisely to signifie 3. years and a half no more then I do take the 42 moneths for that just period and set terme of 3 years and a half without either more or lesse but indefinitely for some short space expressed here by 3 dayes and a half Why the time of the witnesses rising is expressed by the notion of after 3 dayes and a half as the time of the treading of the holy City is expressed by the space of 42 moneths not lesse then 3 dayes and a half because they should not have the honour equally with Christ to rise as soon as he that rose again the third day and was most justly to have a greater priviledge and preheminence in rising sooner then any other nor yet any more then three dayes and a half because then they should stink as Martha said of her Brother Lazarus that had been dead four dayes and therefore seeing that on the third day the dead Corps remaineth sweet and the flesh as yet seeth no corruption John 11.39 but doth begin to stink and to putrifie on the fourth day as the Physitians do relate God would not suffer these two Witnesses to lie in the streets to stink and to be corrupted but after 3 dayes and a half while they were yet sweet and their memories precious with all that feared God the spirit of life from God or the breath of life for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall enter into them and they shall stand upon their feet not that the good King and the Bishops or any others of the Martyrs witnesses of Christs that are killed shall rise again in their own persons that thought is too gross because they are now in glory The witnesses shall rise in their successors and great gainers by the malice of the beast that killed them and they should be much the worse and great loosers to be reduced and brought back again hither into this valley of misery but the meaning is that as our Saviour saith John Baptist was the Elias that was to come because he was endued with the spirit of Elias and was sent to do the work and to supply the place and to execute the office of Elias Mar. 9.13 so they that shall be invested with the abilities re-established in the places and confirmed with the power and authority of those witnesses that the beast hath killed and shall be enthroned and take possession of the seats offices and priviledges of the slain witnesses are said to be the witnesses revived and restored by the spirit of God to stand up again upon their feet and So Mr. Mede saith Mr. Mede p. 21. the witnesses shall be restored and revived in their successors when they shall enjoy the offices and the former estate of the slaughtered witnesses And so we may be sure when God seeth his time which is but a very short time expressed here under the notion of three dayes and a half these two witnesses that are slain by this beast that is as I shewed before the monarchicall and Episcopall Government by King and Bishops shall and will rise again and stand upon their feet And whether this be not now fulfilled let my Reader judge maugre all the opposition of their adversaries and then as the Holy Ghost saith v. 11. great fear shall come upon them that see them that is upon their enemies that had killed them either by themselves or by their predecessors and upon those also that consented and furthered to put them to death and I believe they may very well and ought very much to fear to see that God is so mindfull of his witnesses and therefore will without question be revenged on them and their Posterity for the slaughtering of his anointed Servants Then the Holy Ghost setteth down Verse 12. v. 12. the means and the manner of the rising and restauration of the slain witnesses saying that they shall hear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great voice from Heaven that is a powerfull call from the Church and from the People of God How or by what meanes the two witnesses shall be revived which is here meant by Heaven for they onely shall restore them and shall say unto them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 come up hither that is ascend and take your former places your offices and your dignities that the beast and his adherents have taken away from you and from your Predecessors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they shall ascend up to Heaven in a Cloud that is by the help and assistance of a multitude of unperceived And let my Reader judge whether the King be not thus restored And we hope the Bishops shall be so likewise and as it were Invisible friends that shall be as a Cloud of Witnesses of their integrity and a Cloud of Intercessors to speak for them and to plead their causes to God and all good men against all their malicious Adversaries and a Cloud of powerfull Patrons to regaine unto them and to restore them if not to their Estates and possessions which in all likelihood the Beast had sold or bestowed or otherwise disposed of it and the takers of them perhaps had
miseries to our sorrowes taxes upon taxes oppressions upon oppressions and troubles upon troubles more and more shall be powred out and heaped together to fill up the measure of the second woe that shall be inflicted for the killing of Gods two witnesses But if this stroke that makes them speechless be the last blow that killeth them and that our late ever blessed King and Bishops be the very witnesses that are here meant in this Chapter as I conceive they are then do I expect their rising and do hope their restauration will be about June 1660. that is just about 3 years and a half after this last blow was given and is the very time prescribed for their rising by the holy Ghost for you must observe that although the actuall and litterall killing of the King and the Arch Bishop was done long before yet this mysticall metaphoricall and civilly finall slaughtering of the Ecclesiasticall witness the rest of the Bishops was not till about Novemb. 1656. when this last blow was given them and therefore seeing the spirit of God doth not say that the two witnesses shall be killed by the beast at the same time but that after they are both killed and lain both dead 3 dayes and a half though the one of them hath lain dead somewhat longer the spirit of God shall raise them up What time should we expect the restoring of the King and the Bishops it cannot be expected that the time of their rising taken to be as most Interpreters take it for the set time of 3 years and a half or thereabout can be to either of them untill about June 1660. and it may be to the other a while after and not both raised together as they were not killed together but that as the one was the longer before he was killed so he should be the longer before he should be raised and to expect the help of him that shall be first raised to raise him also which we hope will soon be effected that we may render the prayses and thanks that follow in this Chapter unto our God CAP. II. Who is here meant by the Woman Cloathed with the Sun Cap. 12. Of the Revelation treateth who is meant by the Dragon and by the Man child when the Church began to be freed from her bloody persecution how long she was freed from it what is meant by the War of Michael and the Dragon the last bloody War and persecution of the Dragon how long it lasteth how the Church is relieved in this bloody persecution and Junius his interpretation of this Woman rejected 2ly AS the Holy Ghost setteth down the slaughtering of the two Witnesses 1. Of the Vision of the Woman and what it signifieth the Magistracy and Ministry the Civil and the Ecclesiasticall Governours of Gods Church by the Beast that ascendeth from the Bottomless pit that is the Antichrist and the reviving of them againe in their Successors and restoring them to their former state and condition to execute their Offices as before by the Spirit of God that hath done all this for them in the 12th Chapter of this book so here in this 12th Chapter he setteth down the State and condition of the Church it self how she shall be persecuted and afflicted both at first and at last in her beginning and throughout her continuance especially in the time and by the meanes of this beast that is the great Antichrist for as the Apostle saith V. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there appeared a great Wonder in Heaven that is in the aire which in this place is signified by Heaven as where the birds of the Aire are called the Fowles of Heaven and what may that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great wonder be Psal 104.12 Jer. 7.33 Ezech. 31.6 It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Woman Cloathed with the Sun and what meaneth that surely this Woman signifieth the Spouse of Christ that is the Church of God and this Church is Cloathed that is inlightened not with the new lights of Phantastick upstarts that are but old errours and heresies heretofore buried and now revived by our Novices Deut. 32.17 even as Moses saith unto the Idolatrous Israelites that their new Gods were nothing else but old Devills but this Church and Spouse of Christ was Cloathed with the old and unspotted light of the Sun which is the Fountaine of our light wherewith she was girded and compassed about as with a bright shining garment for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that cometh of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 circundo cingo to gird about signifieth and this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sun wherewith she was inlighted and cloathed is none other then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Son of God Malachie 4.2 John 1.9 Jesus Christ who as the Prophet saith is the Sun of Righteousness and the garment that the Apostle biddeth every Christian man to put on and so she was Cloathed and enlightened with the true light What is meant by the Moon that lighteneth every man that commeth into the World And this woman thus Cloathed had the Moon under her feet that is the true Church of Christ trampled all sub-lunar and mutable things as is the Moon under her feet as deeming them no better then dust and dross and things of no value as the Apostle speaketh or as Mr. Mede saith by the Moon we may understand the Mosaicall Ceremonies as the Jewish feasts of new Moones Mr. Mede Pag. 33. of the Passover of Pentecost and of Tabernacles that were all ordered and observed according to the motion of the Moone all which the Christian Church Colloss 2.14 as they were shadowes of things to come as the Apostle sheweth trampled under her feet and cast them all away when Christ the true substance of them came in place or else the Moon which God made to rule the night may signifie the power of darkness Gen. 1.16 What is meant by the Crown of 12 Starrs as the Worshipping of Idols and all the gentile superstitions there following after their Oracles and the like works of darkness which the Church of Christ quite Cashiered and abandoned And this Woman had upon her head a Crown of twelve stars that is as St. Ambrose saith the glorious and Heavenly Doctrine of the twelve Apostles that is briefly comprised and knit together like an unvaluable Crowne in the twelve Articles of our Christian Faith which these twelve Apostles have composed and delivered to this Woman for the instruction of her Children and which therefore should be deerer unto them then the fairest Crowne of the purest Gold v. 2. though now our Presbyterians have cast them quite away And she being with Child cryed travelling in Birth and pained to be delivered even as other women that are with Child use to do for the Church as Rabbi Kimchi saith is compared to a Mother Rabbi Kimchi Hos 2.2.3 in respect of Vniversality and
the Divines into their Cloysters which was the Churches Heaven upon Earth and he will not so part with her Mr. Mede pag. 40. What is meant by the War of Michael and his Angels against the Dragon and his Angels as there to let her escape free from his assault but be will now prosecute another kind of Combate with her which he had only begun before when he saw himself like to be worsted in the former conflicts and that Combate shall be not as E. H. and Mr. Mede do imagine the bloody Warrs of the persecuting Tyrants which was already past and the Dragon failed of his purpose therein but bellum dogmaticum a verball Warr that is a spirituall Scholastick and Ecclesiasticall War like the Pharsalian civil War of the Romans when a Kingdome is divided amongst it self which is the Worst and most dangerous of all Wars and so is this Ecclesiasticall War that the Hereticks and their grand Captaines the Proselites of Arius Nestorius Eutyches Pelagius Manichaeus Aerius the Trinitarians Millenaries and the rest of that litter did still prosecute to molest the Church of Christ And my reasons to prove this War to be no Bloody War The hereticall War but rather a spirituall and Ecclesiasticall War are these Reason 1 1. Because this War is said to be in Heaven which cannot signifie the seat and place of the Blessed Angels and of the Saints departed out of this life because that neither War nor sorrow nor any other trouble can come there and therefore the seat of this War must be not the World simply considered which is never called Heaven but the Church of God which is the Christians Heaven here upon Earth and the Arke that carrieth us through the Seas of this World into the Eternall Heaven and therefore this War being said to be rather in the Church then in the World when as our Saviour speaking of our bloody Wars saith in the World you shall have Tribulations must needs be an Ecclesiasticall Hereticall and no bloody War no worldly War Reason 2 2. Because it is said that Michael and his Angels that is Christ and the true Bishops and Pastors of his Church that are called the Angels of the Churches and not Michael and his Princes Revelat. 1.20 fought against the Dragon and his Angels and not as it is said in Daniel that he affisted his Angel against the King of Persia but with the Dragon and his Angels Dan. 10.13 that is the Devil and his false Prophets the Hereticks that molested the Church and corrupted the true faith and the right Service of God and yet as their Master the Devil transformeth himself into an Angel of light as the Apostle speaketh so will the false Prophets be deemed and esteemed Angels but this Heavenly Angel tells us they are the Angels of the Dragon that make this War with the Angels of Christ Reason 3 3. And lastly because that in this War we find none slaine nor any blood spilt as they were under the persecuting Tyrants as well the Arian Kings as the Pagan Emperors and therefore this War must needs be understood of no Forreigne bloody War but of a Verball spirituall Warr waged within the bosome of the Church that happened after the death of Theodosius who had freed the Church from all externall Wars and bloody persecutions but could not stop the mouth of the false Prophet nor hinder the Dragon and his Angels to raise and prosecute this Hereticall War And yet now How the Church prevailed against the Hereticks as the Woman formerly prevailed in the first War against the bloody Instruments of the Dragon that were vanquished in patientia Martyrum through the patience of the Martyrs and the sufferings of the Saints so here in this second War she gets the Victory over her Enemies and the Dragon is overcome c. 12. v. 11. by the blood of the Lamb and his Angels vanquished by the word of their Testimony v. 11. that is the Hereticks and Scismaticks were confuted and silenced in prudentia Doctorum by the Wisdome of the Bishops that were the Governours of the Church and by their learned writings and faithfull Preaching of Gods truth and not with the Sword or Cannon shot or any other such outward force which the Angels of Jesus Christ the Ministers of the Gospel never use as the Angels of the Dragon do and now did in many places because they are commanded with St. Peter to put up their Sword into the sheath and it is for none but the satellites of the high Priests Math. 26.52 and the Jannizaries of the Antichrist to come out against Christ and to fight against his Witnesses with Swords and Staves Then Mr. Mede pag. 40. Michael significat quis sicut deus certe nullus nifi Jesus Christus the Dragon being by Michael that is by the power and Wisdome of God that is Jesus Christ which Michael fignifieth and not by any one of the chief Princes or of the seven Arch Angels as Mr. Mede thinketh cast out of Heaven that is driven from the Church as he did the buyers and sellers out of the Temple when all the errors heresies and superstitions which the Devil by his prime Angells the Heresiarches had invented and sowed amongst Gods people were confuted and rooted out of these our reformed Churches and these Churches restored to their Pristine purity and setled in the right forme of serving God by the painefull diligence of the learned Bishops the Pastors and the Protestant Preachers of Gods word which was fairly begun in Queen Elizabeths time The Victory in this War when obtained continued and bettered in King James his Reign but not clearly done and perfectly finished untill King Charles his dayes nor any where so purely done as in these our dominions as I have fully proved unto you before there ensued a two-fold act or a double consequence of this great Victory of Michael and his Angels over the Dragon and his Angels 1. The Tryumph rejoycing and Jo-paean of the Conquerors The twofold Consequence of the Church his Victory over the Hereticks cap. 12.11 the Inhabitants of Heaven 2. The fretfull wrath and continued malice of the Conquered Dragon 1. In Heaven that is in the Church of God as I said before St. John heard a loud voyce saying now is come Salvation and strength and the Kingdome of our God and the power of his Church c. 12. v. 10. where you must first observe the Emphasis in the word now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now is Salvation come and it was come long before when Christ had fully purchased our Redemption before his Ascention into Heaven but I conceive this Salvation to be meant not of our spirituall and eternall Salvation from Sin Hell and Satan which was come by Christ long before but for our Temporall Salvation and deliverance from the power and malice of our Enemies and that was now come that is fully and perfectly
come A speciall observation of the time of this rejoycing and not before because that till now the Church was exercised either with bloody persecutions from without or with intestine broyles and heresies from within but now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the accuser and false traducer of our Brethren the Holy Prophets and the Apostles of Christ by misapplying their sayings misconstring their words and perverting their meaning and making them to say that which they never thought as all Hereticks do being cast out of the Church and quite vanquished consuted and silenced 1. By the blood of the Lamb that is by the faith which the true Christians had in the death of Christ and by the patient sufferings of the Martyrs for the defence of that faith in the former persecutions both of the Pagans and Arians when they loved not their lives unto death but valued them as nothing and yielded them most freely for the maintenance of that Faith which they had in the blood of the Lamb. and 2. by the word of their Testimony that is the breif Articles of their faith and the uniforme rule of Serving God and by the constant firme and faithfull justifying and maintaining the truth of that Doctrine and Service which they professed and published unto the people against all Hereticks whatsoever Therefore now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 12. rejoyce you Heavens Use 12 1. The rejoycing of the Angels and Saints the Church tryumphant and militant for the suppression of the Hereticks and ye that dwell in them that is the highest Heavens and all you Blessed Spirits and Holy Angells that do rejoyce at the Conversion of one Sinner rejoyce now much more for these great Victories and especially for this last victory that Michael and his Angels hath obtained against the Dragon and his Angels and you the Metaphoricall Heavens the Churches of God wherein God resideth rejoyce you as you have most cause to rejoyce that the accuser of your brethren and the false traducer of the Apostles and Holy Fathers of the Church is cast out from amongst you and your Churches are purely reformed the doctrine of faith truely taught and the service of God righty administred and all errors heresies and superstitions swept out of the Church But woe to the Inhabitants of the Earth and of the Sea v. 12. that is Who are meant by the inhabitants of the earth and of the Sea to the Worldlings Hypocrites bloody men and loose livers for the earth signifyeth earthly men and the Sea is a loose roaring and raging element cold and moyst and therefore signifieth the loose and dissolute livers roarers and furious men that have not any heat of Love and Charity in them and those also that for the love of gaine and profit only and not out of love to benefit their Countrey and their Neighbours and to shew the bountifull goodness of God to all places but onely out of a covetous desire to inrich themselves do passe all Seas into all forreign Lands woe woe unto all those because that he which could not and can not prevail against the true Christians that do so firmly stand and so stoutly oppose him will be sure to catch these soon enough within his net and hold them fast enough to make them pay for all because as the Holy Ghost saith he hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great wrath and is exceedingly troubled and vexed not onely for his former foyl and his casting out of Heaven but also most especially for that now after these victories he knoweth or as the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he seeth that he hath but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a short space to recruit and to see if he can revenge his former foyls and therefore 2. 2. The bloody and the most malicious persecution of the Dragon after the suppression of the Hereticks He goeth presently among the Inhabitants of the Earth and of the Sea and perswades them to throw all the stones of the Earth and to stir up all the waves of the Sea and to use all possible arts to vex and oppress the woman and to overwhelm the Ship of Christ which is the Church in the Seas of all miseries and afflictions And so now the Dragon begins a fresh to rage and to persecute the woman saith the Holy Ghost v. 13. which brought forth the man-child and to vex and molest all her Children all the true and faithfull members of the Church whereof most of them especially her lay children were left prety quiet while the spirituall and dogmaticall warre lasted that raged most of all amongst the Clergy but now that warre being ended the Church reformed superstitions expunged and all the Heresies confuted the Dragon vanquished his Angels suppressed and the service of God purely and rightly discharged the true Church and all her members the corrupted unreformed Churches he hath them in his hands already so that he need not trouble himself to meddle with them are newly molested and exceedingly persecuted with great wrath saith the Angel and that is with a bloody warre and a greater warre and a far more unnaturall and unchristian warre and a more violent and more malicious prosecution of the warre and persecution of them that were quiet in the Land then ever was done by this Dragon at any time before this time And the reason of the exceeding greatness and sharpness of this persecution of the true Church The reason of the sharpness of this persecution shewed signified by this woman is not omitted to be set down by the Holy Ghost for the comfort and consolation of all the persecuted Saints and distressed members of Christ and for to incourage them with the more constancy to persist and to withstand the assaults of the Dragon unto the end and that is because the Dragon that in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had many hundred years to prosecute that heriticall and dogmaticall war yet now knoweth and seeth that he hath but a short time to rage and to wage this newly revived bloody war and therefore he must bestir himself or he shall lose his Harvest that hath but a short time to gather in his fruit and that time that he is permitted thus to rage against the woman as the spirit of God sets it down Cap. 12.14 c. 11 8 v. 11. c. 13 5. c. 11.2 is but a time and times and half a time which signifieth the three dayes and a half that the two witnesses of Christ shall lie unburied in the streets of the great City and the 42 moneths wherein the beast should prevail against Gods Servants and should tread the holy City that is the purest Church under feet for all these times thus exprest by severall termes and expressions The suppression of the witnesses and persecution of the Church the same time as of time times and half a time and three dayes and a half and 42 moneths and do synechronize and cohere for the
and his love towards his Church and Servants is such and so great that he sheweth himself to be Psal 46.1 as the Prophet speaketh deus in oportunitatibus a good God most gracious in the most needfull time of trouble for as soon as the Dragon began to persecute the woman after that he was thrown out of Heaven and cast unto the earth God gave unto the woman two wings of a great Eagle that she might flie away into the Wilderness into her place v. 14. c. 12.6 Two speciall things to be observed v. 14. which was the place that was prepared by God for her to secure her from the Dragon v. 6. touching which wings we are to consider these two speciall things that is 1. What these two wings be 2. Why they were given unto the woman and 1. We may well understand these two wings are not the Magistrates and the Ministers as E. H. thinketh and some others with him because now in this persecution of the woman and the rest of her Children the true members of the Church the two witnesses are likewise persecuted and killed and do lie dead and unburied all the while that the woman is persecuted and therefore they could not possibly help the woman to flie away Mr. Mede p. 64. Neither are these two wings of the Eagle the Eastern and the Western Empire as Mr. Mede imagineth because the East Empire at the time of this persecution of the woman had wholly apostatized from Christ and was become another enemy unto the woman and the West Empire under the Papacy was no faithfull friend but had anathamatized the true Church that is thus persecuted by the Dragon and therefore I do rather conceive that these two wings are 1. 1. Observation What are the two wings that are given to the woman 1 Pet. 3.16 Faith by which we escape all the fiery darts of Satan Ephes 1.16 2. Good works and an holy conversation which stops the mouth of the wicked as St. Peter saith or rather because their mouthes that hereby should be stopped will not be stopped but will traduce and slander Innocency it self as the Jewes slandered Christ himself in whose mouth was found no guile these two wings may be said to be 1. Constant patience 2. Fervent Prayers Patience 1 1. Patience manfully to suffer whatsoever it should please God to permit the Dragon and his Instrument the beast to inflict upon her for not onely Levius fit patientia quicquid corrigere est nefas patience makes every burthen to seem lighter then it is and helps us to bear that which we cannot shun but also vincit qui patitur by a patient suffering we overcome the greatest maladies as Christ himself by his suffering overcame all his and our enemies and therefore si vis vincere disce pati if thou wilt overcome this Dragon and conquer this beast arm thy self with patience Prayers 2 2. Prayers fervently and constantly made to the Almighty God that he would assist her and strengthen her to endure faithfull against all the assaults of Satan and in his good time to deliver her from them for the time would be too short and my papers too scant if I should go about to set down Nothing so powerfull to obtain what we desire as fervent and constant prayers what great things have been obtained and what wonderfull things have been brought to passe and effected by the power of prayer when as a Father saith haec est victoria quae vincit mundum preces nostrae this is the victory that overcometh the world and will overcome the Dragon even our prayers And these be the two wings of the great Eagle that is most able and powerfull to flie and to escape and I know no graces more powerfull then these two whereby the Church and all her members have alwayes and shall ever through Gods help which their prayers will obtain be able to persist in the true faith and right service of God and likewise to discharge all other duties that they owe both to the witnesses and to all other men during their lives maugre all the spite of the Dragon and the persecution of the beast and likewise to escape all their malice and mischief and therefore let us ever pray to God and be patient and contented 2. We are to observe 2. Observat To what end the two wings were given to the woman that the Holy Ghost omitteth not to explain the reason and the end why God gave these two wings unto the woman not onely to fly away and to escape from the violence of the Dragon but more especially to be noted that she might flie into the Wilderness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into her place which God had formerly prepared for her therefore it is apparent that she was now come out of the Wilderness and out of the place and as the Children of Israel left their Tents where Moses was and joyned themselves to Baal-Peor so no doubt but she had left the Wilderness and the heavenly life that she should have led Had not the Church offended in stepping out of her place she had not been afflicted and associated her self too much with the world and worldly men which is the cause of her persecution and the inflicting of the second woe upon her which she might have escaped had she continued in her place because no punishment cometh untill a transgression proceedeth the sin goeth before and the correction followeth after so the woman came out of her place and the Dragon was permitted to whip her into her place and therefore this is a second passage of the woman into the Wilderness which being not well observed hath made many Interpreters to mistake the times and the meaning of the Holy Ghost in this place But seeing her coming out of her place is the cause of her present woe and of the persecution of the Dragon by the meanes and malice of the beast let her quickly if she would be preserved and escape the flood of waters and afflictions that the Dragon sâ—ueth after her get again into the Wilderness and return into her place and continue faithfull in her Christian Profession and the discharging of her duties both to God and man because the neglect thereof hath been the cause of all her troubles at all times whatsoever And let her and all her Children the members of the Church How God looketh upon the afflictions of his people the sconer and the rather do this because that to incourage her to continue constant in the right service of God and to honour the witnesses so religiously as she ought to do God locked down from Heaven and considering the great wrath of the Dragon and the flood of all miseries that by the service of the beast he had cast after the woman as he looked upon the afflictions of his people when they were in Egypt and sent Moses for to help them so now in this
they are heavy as were the persecutions of the Jewes under Antiochus very grievous then are they as theirs were very short and therefore the troubles and persecutions of the Church under the Beast being most heavy and more grievous then ever the Church felt before as I have formerly shewed and the reason of it it is not likely it should be as Mr. Mede and some other learned men do think very long but as we conceive very short about three years and a half and not so many hundred years as they set down that would have the Pope to be the Antichrst about twelve hundred years at least since the time that some men would make the Pope to be the Antichrist The Parallel And we all know the Parliaments Warre with the King continued not very long but much about the time here alotted unto the Beast and that is 42. moneths which make three years and a half CAP. II. The blasphemy of the Beast 1. Against God by the Doctrines of the Presbyterians and as it is alledged the manifold injuries of the long Parliament 2. Against his Tabernacle that is the Churches and places where God is worshipped and served and which the prime Christians had to serve God in them Of the twofold service of God at what times God might be served in any place the two things that Jeroboam did to uphold his Idolatry how God will be served in the time by the persons after the manner and in the places where he appointeth and in what sence all things are alike holy and in what sence some things are more holy then other things BUt how long soever these 42. moneths is whether they signifie three years and a half or three years and half three years as some do think which make four years and a half for I dare not presume so precisely to determine what length of time is here meant to a hair by these 42. moneths or whether as I rather conceive some other unlimited space that should not be very long when it is expressed sometimes by dayes and here by moneths and not by years for where the Scripture sets down the time that any thing should be done as that Antiochus should rage a time and times and the dividing of times which all Interpreters expound to signifie three years and a half Dan. 7.25 and that Christ should be three dayes and three nights in the heart of the Earth it is not meant that it must be so exactly to a jot or a minute for we find that Antiochus continued three years seven moneths and thirteen dayes and Christ was buried by Joseph and Nicodemus about three houres before Sun-set on Good-Fryday and rose again about four or five a Clock on Sunday morning which maketh not in all above 36. or 38. houres or not above 40. houres casting it to the highest account and that reacheth not fully to three dayes and three nights properly and literally taken but the meaning is that it shall be so and so much about that very time And so the Beast shall contiue such a time as the Holy Ghost intendeth by these 42 moneths and in all that time having received this power and great Authority from the Dragon he opened his mouth in Blasphemy against God to Blaspheme his Name and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven v. 6. I desire my Reader to be an unpertiall judge in whom he seeth this Prophesie fulfilled And I do earnestly beseech all men to observe and seriously to consider whether ever any Tayler fitted any Garment to any mans body or Shooe-maker a shooe to any mans foot fitter then this prediction doth agree with the long and lately dissolved Parliament and their Teachers the Presbyterians and lay Preachers and with none else either Jew Pagan Turke Pope or any other Infidell or Heretick whatsoever so as it doth with them of that Parliament and their adherents for here you may observe a three fold Blasphemy of the beast 1. Against Gods Name 2. Against his Tabernacle 3. The Blasphemy of the Beast 3 fold 1. Against Gods name Mr. Mede pag. 75. Against his Servants that dwell in Heaven but 1. Mr. Mede saith that by Blasphemy here the Idolatry of the beast is to be understood and I confess that the Idolatry of the Israelites is termed and translated Blasphemy as in Ezekiel 20.27 where the Lord saith that by offering their Sacrifices in Bama and polluting themselves with their Idols they Blasphemed him v. 28. c. 31. Yet I say 1. That every Blasphemy is not Idolatry neither doth it signifie the Idolatry of the beast in this place nor do Mr. Medes reasons confirme it for Though I do yield the beast to be an Idolater and guilty of very much Idolatry That Blasphemy doth not alwayes nor here signifie Idolatry and that the beast seateth himself in Babylon and Babylon is the Mother of Harlots that committeth Spirituall Fornication which is the following after other Gods as the Whore followeth other men with or beside her own Husband Yet this proveth not that the Blasphemy of the beast which is here spoken of must signifie the Idolatry of the beast when as the beast like unto a shameless Whore is guilty of more faults then one 2. I deny the other heads of the beast as I shewed to you before to signifie those Kings of the Roman Empire which Mr. Mede affirmeth to be and so 3. I deny this beast to have descended from those Idolatrous heads that he conceiveth and therefore that the Idolatry of those Romane Emperors or Kings doth not prove the Blasphemy of this beast to signifie his Idolatry in this place 4. Neither do I conceive it likely that the Evangelist writing in Greek and to the Gentiles should use the Greek words in the signification of those Hebrew words that do in some places signifie the same thing therefore I expound the word The paralel How the Parliament Preachers and Assembly of their Divines have Blasphemed God Unde factum Est ut tot gentes una cum liberis suis infantibus aeternae morti involveret lap sus Adae absque remedio nisi quia Deo ita visum est Decretum quidem horribile fateor Calv. instit l. 3 c. 23. not for Idolatry but according to the Gramnaticall and native signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 compounded of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 noceo laedo and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dico which signifieth to speak or write impiously wickedly and unjustly both of God and of his Tabernacle and of his Servants the Angels and Saints that dwell in Heaven And thus consider 1. How the Chaplens of the long Parliament and their selected assembly with those that they admit for the Preachers and Ministers of Gods words which are the false Prophet here spoken of in this Apocalyps as I shall anon shew unto you have and do Blaspheme the most Holy Name of God when as I told you
ordinarily and alwayes when he came to the Temple Matth. 21.14 and opportunity offered him so to do and St. Matthew saith that the blind and the lame came to him in the Temple and he healed them and so must we come to him into his Temple if we desire to be healed of our infirmities and so the Apostles and Disciples of Christ after his ascention into Heaven met and worshipped God in the Temple Act. 2.46 c. 5.25 and when the Christians began to be multiplied they presently erected Churches and consecrated them for Gods service as you may see in 1 Cor. 11.22 and from the 14th Chapter of the said Epistle where the Apostle bids the women to be silent in the Church which must not be understood of any other House or Congregation but the Congregation that meeteth for Gods service in Gods House And because that place was set apart from all prophane uses for to pray to God and to preach unto the people and to do all other exercises of Religion as administring the Sacraments catechizing the youths collecting the alms for the poor and the like services of the Lord and was hallowed and sanctified by the prayers of the Bishop onely for that end and that God hath promised his more speciall presence for our help and assistance in a most speciall manner in that House more then in any other place 2 Chron. 6. as you may see by Solomons prayer therefore the true Saints and servants of God did ever honour and reverence this very place of Gods Worship more then any Chamber of presence of the greatest Monarch in the World and none but prophane Atheists wicked Hereticks and the members and adherents of this Beast that are worse then the worst of worldlings have ever abused prophaned or blasphemed these materiall Churches whereof the Prophet saith holiness becometh thy house for ever for Though originally In what sence all things are alike holy and in respect of their own nature all places are alike holy and so are all persons all dayes and all meates and so all other things that are ejusdem speciei of the same kind they are all alike holy and there is no difference nor any more Sanctity or Holiness in the one then in the other being all alike Holily created by God Yet if we consider Gods designation of any of these things and the Sanctification In what sense some things are more holy then others For the further clearing of this point I desire the Reader to look into Mr. Mede's learned Discourse de sanctitate relativa and his answer to Dr. Twisse pag 660 and in Levit. 19.30 of the same by the appointment of God for such and such uses in the service of God then you shall find a great deale of difference betwixt the one and the other and a great deale of a relative accidentall Holiness in and belonging to the one more then to the other otherwise what difference will you make betwixt the common bread that we eat of the finest Wheat Flower and the most Holy and Blessed bread of the Holy Eucharist or the Lords Supper but the Sanctifying of it by Prayers for this use to be the Body and Blood of Christ this makes the difference so that now after the consecration of it with the words of Christ hoc est Corpus meum we cannot without prophaneness and a mighty offence give the same to Doggs or unbelieving Jewes or any other that we know to be altogether unworthy of it as we can give the other bread that is made of the same lump to either of these without any offence or what difference is there betwixt one day and another but because the Lord designed the 7th day to be set apart for his Service and hallowed it for that end therefore it is more Holy then all the other six dayes and so are the dayes and feasts that are appointed by the Church to honour God in them as the Commemoration of Christs Nativity Circumcision Resurrection Ascention and other dayes of Thanksgiving for some speciall blessings and extraordinary favours that as on those dayes we have received from God which none will prophane but the neglectors of Gods honour and the prophaners of his Service So what difference or what Holiness is there naturally betwixt one man and another but when the Lord chooseth one before another to be his Servant to be sent as his Embassador to Preach his Word and to administer his Sacraments and causeth him to be consecrated or hallowed by Prayers and impositions of hands for that purpose there is a great deale of difference betwixt them and much additionall Holiness in the one more then in the other in so much that our Saviour saith of these men he that receiveth you receiveth me Luc. 10.16 Zech. 2.8 and he that despiseth you despiseth me and the Lord saith of them he that toucheth you toucheth the Apple of mine eye and you see this difference in the Embassadors and other Officers of Kings Princes and Potentates whom we honour and reverence more then others because they are deputed and Authorized to be the Judges Sherifs or other Officers of the Kingdome where they are designed so to be and so likewise what difference or what Holiness is there in one place more then in another in the Church ground more then in the Barne floore surely not any at all originaliter in respect of themselves but when such a piece of ground is designed and dedicated for Gods Service and consecrated by Prayers for that purpose and God promiseth his presence to be more especially there for our comfort then in any other ordinary place then certainly there is a great deale of difference and a great deale of Holiness in that place and Consecrated ground more then in any other common ground whatsoever Therefore Jacob said of the place where God shewed his presence to him Gen. 28.17 this is Gods house and the gate of Heaven and the Lord said unto Moses Exod. 3.5 pull off thy shoes from thy feet for the place where thou standest is Holy ground and why was that ground more Holy then any other ground not in respect of any innate Holiness but because the Lord revealed himself there to Moses more then in any other place and I pray you look what the Spirit of God injoyneth us to do when we come into Gods House Eccles 5.2 for if we make no difference of these things but that every man that will may intrude himself to do the Service which God requireth to be done by another and he may do that Service any where in any one place as well as in another in a Common Barne as well as in a Holy Church then surely we need not observe any time when any one day is as good and as Holy as another the Munday as well as the Lords day and so confounding persons times and places we shall confound all Religion and
of that grand enemie of Jesus Christ Whence you may perceive that as the definition of the soul It is hard to find out this terren Camelion beast and the faculties thereof is far more difficult to be explicated then that of the body so it is a more intricate work to find out and to unkennel this beast amongst the thickets of the earth then it was to find the other that arose ex plane from the smooth and plain sea Jerem. 16.16 but as the Prophet Jeremy sheweth the Lord hath many bunters and by the help of these divine hunters I shall bring him out of his lurking holes take off his mask from his face and bring him forth to be apparently seen before your eyes if you please to view him and to take notice of him who other wise may bite you sore ere you be aware of him Lyranus 1. Some understand Mahomet Aureolus and Dominicus a Soto do by the first beast that rose out of the sea understand Synnochius or Siroe the son of Cosroe King of Persia that slew Anastatius and 70. other innocent Monks besides and by this beast that rose out of the earth they understand Mahomet the false Prophet that left his wicked Alcoran for his followers Bible and was indeed worse then Synnochius and did more mischief unto the Christians then he or any other single Tyrant or false Prophet did and he reigned as they say until the year of Christ 666. which is here said to be the number of the beast and the very letters of his name written in Greek the language in which Saint John wrote Zonaras annal l. 3. Montagu appello Caesar pag. 151. do make up as both Cedrenus and Zonaras say the number 666. to an hair thus 40. 1. 70. 40. 5. 300. 10. 200. μ. α. ο μ. ε τ. ι ς. which is in all 666. as I shewed you before and he pretended to work great miracles as the holy Ghost saith this beast seemed to do Cornel. à lapide in H. loc The 10 miracles of Mahomet Sicut sydus radium profert Virgo filium pariforma neque Sydus raaio neque mater film Sir corrupta which is most true of the blessed Virgin and most false of that impostors mother and of those miracles of Mahomet the Sarazens that professe his religion do as Cornelins a Lapide saith set down these ten 1. That his mother which was a Jew brought him forth after his father Abdalla died for he was a posthumus as the Sun shineth through a glasse without pain as the blessed Virgin did our Saviour Christ without the loss of her Virginity 2. That at his birth assoon as ever he was born all the idols of the Gentiles fell like Dagon unto the ground as the Sybills prophesied they shoud do at the birth of Christ 3. That Lucifer was then likewise thrown down to be drowned into the depth of the Ocean 4. That all the winds and the clouds did strive about his education and his bringing up for his mother left a Widow was but a very poor woman and died when he was but two years old 5. That an Asse like Baalams Asse with humane voice stiled him sigillum Prophetarum the Seal that confirmed and should ratifie all the prophefies of the prophets 6. That a dark cloud though the Heavens should be never so clear did alwaies hover and hang over his head 7. That the Moon seeming to the beholders to be divided into two parts he compacted and joyned them together 8. That an Angel did usually talk and confer with him 9. That a figtree called out by him bowed himself most lowly unto him 10. That an Ox and a Lamb spake unto him as to the greatest of all the Messengers of God These are the ten lying wonders that are suggested by his followers to be the miracles of Mahomet But notwithstanding the multsplicity of these forged and feigned miracles of this great Impostor Suarez and Perorius do sufficiently prove that Mahomet could neither be this beast nor the Antichrist And the Histories do shew that he began his reign Or in 631. 2◠Sir Walter Raleigh saith p. 24. in Anno. 620. and died in the year 630. as Cedrenns saith or in Anne 637. as Palmerius saith having reigned as all Writers do agree just ten years and so he continued not to the year 666. as Lyra and Soto do affirm Others with whom our Learned Paraphraster upon the New Testament Dr. Hammond following the acute Grotius understanding the heathen idolatrous worship of the Romans to be signified by the first beast 2. others do understand this beast to be the idolatrous Priests of the heathen temples Philostrat l. 5. c. 5. do conceive this second beast to signifie the Priests and Prophets of the idol Temples that gave the answers of those deceitful Oracles who were Sorcerers and Magicians as was Simon Magus that grand Magician and proto-impostor and Apollonius Tianaeus that pretended to do very many and very great wonders and did call down in appearance fire from Heaven as Philostratus writeth and as the holy Ghost saith this beast should do And that which made these learned men as I conceive to make Caius Caligula to be that man of sin which the Apostle speaks of 2. Thes 2. and Simon Magus to be understood verse 8. that should then be revealed when Caligula should be taken away And to interpret the first beast here spoken of chap. 13. to signifie the idolatrie of the Romish people and this second beast to signifie Apollon Tyanaeus and the like Magicians and followers of their idolatrie was because they saw how sondly and without any probability or shew of any solid ground the most of our Presbyterians do expound both places of the Pope of Rome to make him to be the great and egregious Antichrist Therefore they found such an interpretation as is far more likely and more agreeable to the Texts then is the interpretation of the Presbyterians But we may not confute one error with another error Alios ita lego ut quantalibet sanctitate doctrinaque prepolleant non idea ver◠putem sed quia mihi vel per illos autores canonicos vel probabili ratione quod à vero non abhorreat persuadere potuerunt Ang. ad Hierom. ep 16. That St. John was not banished by Claudius Caesar and bring in one falshood to thrust out another falshood which is but to change one evil for another and by shunning the fire to fall into the water And therefore though I very much reverence Grotius and do much love and honor our worthie Doctor for his learning and great pains in Gods Vineyard yet I cannot assent unto him in many of his Expositions upon this book of the Revelation nor especially that St. John was banished to Patmos by Claudius Caesar as he would faign prove out of Epiphanius when as the most Orthodox and the best Authors that I have read both old
Bellarmine well observeth out of Arâ—thas this beast is said to do his wonders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the sight of menj that is so appearing to men whose sight and judgement are thereby deceived for that they do nothing of what they pretend and seemed to do but the things that they do are no such things indeed in the sight of God 4. 4. Difference Whereas true miracles do exceed all naturall causes tam occultas quam manifestas as well the hidden secrets of nature as those causes that are knowen to us and are done onely by the hand and Power of God and therefore they are wonders and not onely in the fight of men but also in the sight of Angells and Devills the wonders of the Antichrist and his adherents the Presbyterians and Lay-Preachers have all of them their naturall causes though they be hidden from the sight and understanding of the people as the victories of the beast and his successes are obtained meerely by his subtle tricks his cunning carriage of the war and the desperate valour of his soldiers God giveth them leave so to prevaile over the pufillanimity and security of his children that offendeth him and they are not obtained by the immediate hand of Gods active Power The Presbyterians gaining so many Proselites to what it is ascribed and a miraclous effecting Providence from heaven as the beast pretendeth and so desperately blasphemeth God in making him the author of all his bloody cruelties and the shedding of all the innocent blood that was spilt which can no wayes stand either with the goodness or justice of God and the Presbyterians winning of so many simple men to follow after them and to become their disciples to believe their erronius heresies and damnable positions it is to be ascribed to their sedulity vehemency and good oratory wherewith Aeschines Demosthenes and Cicero perswaded their Auditors to follow them and not to the powerfull working of Gods Holy Spirit who though for their sins he permitteth the simple people to believe strong delusions and to be misled into most damnable conclusions by this beast yet he never worketh and leadeth them into the same And therefore what Vulteius Remensis saith of some Franciscan Monkes that played many jugling tricks in Orleance Anno 1534. the same may be rightly applyed to these Presbyterians Cum clamat larvas furiosa caterua leonum Infestare suam nocte dieque domum Res vera est falsi larvati denique fratres Quos vestis sanctos prodigiosa facit Sunt lemures larvae furiae vulpesque lupique Qui infestant vitiis seque suamque domum Which I may very well thus translate When Presbyters do cry that scisme and heresie Do spoile the Church of Christ The thing is true for so these Saints in shew Are furious Fiends the limbs of Antichrist That with their Lies and Heresies given in a golden Cup Have poysoned all the whole Flock of Christ And so themselves are the Mischief that have spoyled all things both in the Church and Common-wealth But though all the wonders and workings of this false Prophet be but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lying wonders and no truth in them yet hereby he deceiveth the people and especially when as the Holy Ghost sayth He maketh fire to come down from heaven on the earth Touching which fire What is here meant by the fire that the beast maketh to come down from heaven 1 Reg. 18.38 we must not understand it to be such a fire as Elias brought down to consume the two fifty men that the King sent to fetch him nor such a fire as by his prayers came down to consume the Sacrifice upon Mount Carmel because those fires were true fires and truly miraculously brought down by the Prophet when as the sire that this false Prophet pretendeth to bring down is no such thing neither must we take it for such a fire as Philostratus sayth Apollonius Tyanaeus fetched down from Heaven in the fight of many people because this was some elfe-fire that he procured to appear as the flash of a Meteor by the help and procurement of the Devil when as this false Prophet pretendeth not to bring down any such a fire neither yet can I yeild it should be taken as Mr. Mr. Medes Expofition rejected Mede and others of our late Writers do expound it for the lightnings and thunders of the Popes Buls and Excommunication against those that submit not themselves to him and to his Decrees because as I shewed to you before the Pope and his Cardinals cannot be understood by this false Prophet But I take it as a proverbial Hyperbole for the application of that which was sayd before That this Beast doth great wonders so that he maketh fire to come down from Heaven The parallel The fire that Christ came to send on earth the Beast pretendeth to bring from heaven because the Jews do commonly attribute so much to the miraculous fire of Elias that they use for all wonderful works proverbially to say He bringeth down fire from heaven sayth Graserus Or else it must be taken as I rather conceive in that sense as our Saviour takes it when he sayth I came to send fire upon the earth because this Prophet would fain seem to imitate Christ and to do all the things that he should do and can do as Christ did and therefore he pretendeth to bring the same fire that Christ brought down and that is the fire of zeal and a most ardent affection to Christ and to the truth of his Religion and this fire the Presbyterians and the Independant and Lay-preachers pretend to bring down from heaven to the earth above all other men whatsoever but in very deed this fire of their is but an ignis fatuus a deceitful fire and their seeming zeal as well as all the rest of their doings is but as the Apostle saith a lying-wonder for the true fire that these men do bring is of another kinde from another place and to another end and that is the fire of hatred and persecution which they bring from Hell Not the fire of persecution and not from Heaven and they bring it into the Church and upon the true Members of Christ and not on the earth but this their fire is not to be understood in this place Reason 1 1. Because the Holy Ghost sayth The Beast bringeth the fire upon the earth that is the earthly minded men whom only he perswadeth to worship the Beast and to adhere unto him as being deceived by his false wonders and this he doth by the fiery zeal of Gods worship which he pretends to bring unto them and the persecution of the Beast is against the Saints and not against these earthly men that by the sight of this fire are perswaded to serve and assist the beast and to afflict the Saints Reason 2 2. Because it is immediatly sayd that hereby he deceiveth them that dwell
speak like the Dragon I know not who can be the true Prophet of Jesus Christ But If you look into the translation of Grallae that was made in vindication of Vedelius to answer Apollonius and his Wallacrian Classis which are the Transmarine Presbyterians you shall see if that Author proves them not to be all Popes in every point but the ignorant people are not yet acquainted with them for he demandeth if their pride and arrogancy as is seen in the Wallacrian Classis be setled in their Classis how much will the world be eased of the Roman Antichrist that is the Pope because they are such birds so like the Romish Pope that they deservedly fall into AEsops fable of the Cuckowe which asked the rest of the birds why they did all flye about him and pecke at him as if he were a hawke that did often molest them whereas he was a weake and feeble bird that neither did nor wisht them any hurt at all to whom the birds answered they did it because that in his feathers he was so like an hawke that they were afraid and believed that in a very short time he would become an hawke so the actions and the doings of these Presbyterians like the Cuckowes feathers are so agreeable to the pride and presumption of the PoPe and all the rest of his practises over Gods Flock that you may assure your selves assoon as ever they shall have their Classes setled Puerilis Sapientiae cothurnus pag. 43. and their Government established you shall have so many imperious Popes amongst you as will vex you more then ever the Pope of Rome hath done qui ante non cavet post dolebit CHAP. III. Of the image of the first Beast what is meant thereby what it is to give life to the Image of the Beast the two things that the Beast animated by the false Prophet immediately acted and the two things that the Long Parliament Acted immediately after they were justified incouraged and animated by the Assembly of the Presbyterians of the marke of the Beast and of the ingagement and of the great iniquity of the ingagement ANd therefore it followeth in the next v. 14. that by the meanes of these their pretended miracles 5. Of the Image of the first beast that they do that is to convert soules and to bring this fiery zeale out of Heaven unto their followers they deceive them that dwell on the eartth and being thus deceived by them they perswade them to make an Image to the first Beast that had the seven heads and ten hornes for this was the usuall Honour and the worship that the people in those dayes and in the eastern Countreyes especially did use to do unto their Emperors and Kings or chiefe Governors whom they chiefly honoured and obeyed which was the first step and occasion of the idolatry of the Gentiles when they began to ascribe Divine Honour unto these images as they did to the image of Belus or Nimrod which was the first Image that we read of Rubenus de idololatrie l. 1. so the false Prophet perswaded the people to make an Image to the beast and so to honour and to worship the beast And the Image of any thing must be a speciall resemblance of them whereof it is an Image and f the Image be perfect and natural as the Son is the Image of his Father then must it have a likenesse not onely representative but also in nature and being of existence and if the Image be imperfect and artificial as the Image of a man drawn by the Painter on a Tablet then though it be different from the thing whereof it is an Image in nature and being yet it must have a representative forme of likenesse to the thing it representeth as the Image drawen by the Painter doth resemble the person or thing that the Painter draweth therefore I say the making of this Image to the beast is not That the Empire caused to be set up by the Pope is not here meant as the image of the old Caesarem Empire as Mr. Mede and all those that would have the Pope and his Cardinalls to be this false Prophet do say the setting up of the Roman Empire in the ten hornes or ten Kings that revolted from the Caesarean Empire as the image of that former Caesarean Empire that was wounded but now is healed and revived in this image that the Pope and his Cardinals caused to be set up and to be obeyed Reason 1 1. Because as I shewed to you before the old Caesarean Empire is not meant by this beast that rose out of the sea and the Pope and his Cardinals cannot be meant by this second beast and the false Prophet Reason 2 2. Because as I said there must be some proportionable similitude betwixt the image and the person or thing represented by the image but there is small resemblance and abundance of difference and dissimilitude as much and more then was betwixt Pharaohs lean kinn and his fat ones or Hectors Ghost to the living Heros betwixt the old Caesarean Empire and the other new Empire that was setled in the ten Kings that being the most glorious Monarchy that ever was upon earth and this that was established by the Pope but a skeleton a shadow and the bare name of an Empire onely of far lesser power then some Kings of this small Island and therefore if by the beast that was wounded we understand the old Caesarian Empire and this new setled Empire by the Pope to be the image of it I say the wound is but very ill and meanly healed in that which is thus revived by the Pope that gave a shadow and lost the substance and the Pope is a very bad Painter that can draw his images no better But the making of this image to the first beast signifieth nothing else What the making of an Image to the beast signifieth but the abetting furthering and setting forward of the doings proceedings and impieties of the first beast because the works and acts the plots and practices of the beast are the very image and the most lively representation of the beast as by and by I shall make it plain unto you But so the Pope and his Cardinals never furthered and assisted the Emperonrs or civil State in their tyranny or impiety but they required all Kings and Emperours to aid and assist them for the advancement and inlargement of the Church Yet it is notoriously known The Parallel the Presbyterians and Lay-preachers perswaded all men to adhere to worship and to do all the honour and service that they could do unto the Parliament and seduced the people so far that the very women were ready to part with their rings their thimbles and their bodkins to make money for to help and to further the proceedings of the Parliament Exod. 32.2 3 even as the Israelites parted with their ear-rings and their Jewels to erect their
patience in all these our sufferings and to assist us for our constancy and perseverance in our duties that we neither murmure at our present condition nor start aside one inch from the truth of our Christian Profession Non me videre superbum prosper a fatorum nec fractum adversa videbunt said Pompey and how much rather should a Christian say it either for fear of losses or for love of gain and preferment but to proceed on codem vultus tenore with the same cheerful countenance as well in these stormy thundring dayes of Adversity and Persecution as we would do in the cleerest Sun-shining dayes of pleasure and prosperity and to remember that Rebus in adversis facile est in contemnere vitam Fortiter ille facit qâ—i miser esse potest 3. To abhor the wayes of the wicked 3. To abhor the wayes and to fly from the service and allurements of these Beasts as from a Serpent because the third Angel that S. John saw sayd with a lond voice so that all men might hear him and plead no excuse If any man worship the Beast and his Image that is serve and follow the two horned Beast which is the false Prophet and the ten horned Beast that is the Image of the false Prophet and assist them in their Impieties or imitate and follow them in their blasphemous doctrines and their wicked wayes or receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand that is take an Ingagement and oblige himself to assure the Beasts that he will uphold assist and desend them and so be true and faithful unto them to further their proceedings or to justifie their doings either plainly or covertly directly or indirectly the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God The heavy punishment of them that assist and adhere to the Beasts which is poured out without mixture that is of any comfortable thing to allay the fierceness or to sweeten the bitterness of it into the Cup of his indignation and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy Angels and of the Lamb which will encrease his Torment to see their happiness and himself in such extream misery and the smoak of that torment ascendeth up for ever and ever to keep God still in minde of the odiousness and stinking savour of their wickedness and they have no rest day nor night that is no manner of ease or abatement of their Torment at any time that worship the Beast and his Image that is serve and adhere to the false Prophet and the ten horned Beast Revel 14.9 10 11. and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name that is engageth himself to adhere and to assist them which pathetical and fearful expressions of the wrath of God and the unspeakable Torments of them that serve and assist these Beasts if men did believe the Scriptures should as I think make all men affraid to receive the mark The 2 Beasts often termed in the singular number the Beast and why or to do any service to any that is like to have any affinity or society with these Beasts which though they be two as the soul and body are yet by reason of their coberency and conjunction like Samsons Foxes or rather Herod Pilate to crucisie Christ to consume all the Corn in Joabs field as being subservient one to another they are most commonly spoken of in the singular number and tearmed the Beast whose undeniable notes and indelible characters and whose words and works testified by the spirit of God in the holy Scripture I have in all particulars parallel'd and expressed by the doctrines and doings of the Assembly of Presbyters at Westminster and their associates the Independant and Lay-preachers and the long Parliament that beheaded the two Witnesses of Jesus Christ and is therefore believed by very many to be the great Antichrist and the man of the sin that is spoken of by the Apostle from whose impiety iniquity and cruelty I earnestly and humbly beseech Almighty God night and day to preserve me and all the true Servants of Jesus Cstrist Amen Obs 2 The pious works of the long Parliament But secondly Against all this that I have written and shewed in the Application of the description and doings of the Antichrist to the Actions and determinations of the Presbyterians and long Parliament and the just paralleling of the one with the other to be as a man and his Image or shadow in a Glass I know it will be objected and demanded how it can be possible that that Parliament which protested they made their War against the Antichrist to root out Popery Idolatry and Superstition from the Church and made so many Orders and Ordinances for Gods Service and Acts for the propagation of the Gospel and to restrain the prophanation of Gods Name and appointed so many Fasts to beg a blessing upon their Endeavours and so many Thanksgivings unto God for their good snccesses which they ascribed only to God and not to themselves and did many other such like acts of piety and devotion should be the great Antichrist and the greatest enemies that ever were to the honour of Christ and of his Church since his ascention into Heaven as you seem to make theworld to believe they are Are these things the works of the Antichrist or can they be compatiblc with the Antichrist Sol. I answer briefly If they had not done these things they could not have been the great Antichrist for Christ himself doth tell us that the Antichrist and his false Prophets would say Matth. 24.23 Lo here is Christ that is with them and there is Christ that is where they meet in the Desart and in the secret Chambers that is in their private Conventicles and not in his consecrated Church where we pray unto him and hereby sayth Christ they should deceive the World and as S. Revel 13.14 John sayth All them that dwell upon the earth i.e. All earthly men yea Mar. 13 21. and if it were possible they should by this their great profession of Piety deceive the very Elect and the true Servants of Christ and you know the old Rule which is infallible decipimur specie recti Fallit enim vitium specie virtut is umbra We are soonest and oftnest deceived with the shew of piety and under the profession of the greatest holiness Si. Walter Rawleigh in the life of Mabomet pag. 7.8 so Mahomet the great Impostor by embracing a solitary life free from the ordinary conversation of men and his speeches mixed with gravity teaching holiness and a good life and beating down Idolotry and injustice gained such an extraordinary opinion of sanctity among the Arabians that they which saw him admired him and they that heard of him held him to be a Saint and thereby he deceived the greatest part of this side of the world and so all Hypocrits do seem to be