it is meant concerning Christ by anticipation who was to be afterwards the desire of the Nations The words are to be read thus Object The desire of all Nations they shall come a Noune of the singular number joyned to a Verb of the plurall and therefore they cannot be meant of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The learned in the Hebrew affirme such a Synrax Answ not to be unusuall among the Hebrewes and namely when they set forth the dignity and excellency of a person so that we may take it thus Christ cloathed with all his Excellencies Attributes Offices and Merits shall come Neither doe I see why this should be more absurd then the joyning of a Noune of the plurall number to a Verb of the singular as we find Gen. 1.1 In the beginning Godcreaâ—ed word for word Gods he created denoting out the Trinity of the persons in the God-head 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the unity of their Essence and Act in creating the World And I will fill this House with glory Not with an externall glory of silver and gold nor with a ceremoniall glory such as the Arke which was called the glory of Israel 1 Sam. 4.21 22. Psal 78.61 which was now quite taken away Jer. 3.16 for God would now teach them to take their hearts quite off from ceremonies and to look directly for the Messiah but he would fill it with the glorious presence of Christ who had the glory of the onely begotten Sonne of God John 1.14 who is the Lord of Glory James 2.1 who is the true Glory of Israel Luke 2.32 who shewes his people the way and is himselfe the undoubted means of glory Now from the words thus understood we may observe these two generall Doctrines one from the commination the other from the consolation First that great concussions Doctrine 1 shakings and alterations of States and Nations great warres and sometimes desolations both oft civill and ecclesiasticall State doe in the course of Gods administration often times goe before great and notable restaurations and Reformations of the Church Secondly Doctrine 2 great and excellent Reformations of the Church doe often times follow and ensue upon great combustions and concussions of Sates and Nations We will begin with the former of these and in opening of it observe this method First we will set downe some proofes and examples of it in the Scriptures Secondly give some grounds and reasons of the Lords proceedings in this manner such as the Scripture leads unto Thirdly we will declare some signes and indices of such an approching storme and earth-quake and then apply it First therefore we shall find such earth-quakes foretold and threatned before the Reformation of the Church wherein the Lord intends not to ruine the Church as we are apt to imagine but to restore and reforme it See for this Amos 9.8 9 10 11. Behold the eyes of the Lord are upon the sinfull Kingdomes and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob saith the Lord for loe I will command and I will sift the house of Israel among all Nations like as Corne is sifted in a sieve c. All the sinners of my people â—all dye by the sword which say the evill shall not overtake nor prevent us In that day will I raise up the Tabernacle of David that is fallen and close up the breaches thereof and I will raise up his ruines and I will build it as in the dayes of old c. Loe here the Lord will first destroy the sinfull Kingdome though not the whole Nation for those are two things He will sift the whole Nation so that no graine shall escape tossing and cut off the enormous transgressors among his people and then when this is done he will restore his Church set forth under the Type of the Tabernable of David as we see it expounded by the Apostle James Act. 15.14 15 16 17. other predictions we have of this kind Isa 4.1 2 3 4. Zech. 13.8 9. We shall also find instances in the Scriptures of such mighty earth-quakes in the course of Gods providence going before notable Reformations of the Church and we will begin with this mentioned in the Text. There have been foure famous Monarchies in the world the Babylonian the Persian the Graecian and the Roman Monarchies The Babylonian was lately fallen it was now about the middest of the Persian Kingdome which continued for some 228. years and then was utterly overthrowne by Alexander the Macedonian called Alexander the Great He brought in the Graecian Kingdome which continued divided amongst his successors but with infinite troubles 200. and odde yeers and then was subdued by the Romans All these great changes besides very great ones among the Romans themselves happened between the time that the Prophet Haggai flourished and the comming of Christ The people of God the people of the Jewes were under all these Monarchies Neh. 9.36 37. and held their Kingdom in vassalage of them and as tributaries to them and therefore must needs partake of their commotions as indeed they did for there were great alterations in the Jewish State both in Common-weale and Church For the civill State sometimes they were under a Prince of their owne Nation sometimes under a forreigne Governour as Pilate the Roman Deputy was over Jerusalem and the principall part of that Country in the time of our Saviour Sometimes they were under Princes of the house of David as Zerubbabel and others Sometimes their Princes were of another Tribe as the Macchabees who are said to be of Lev by the Fathers side and of the Tribe of Judah by the Mother till at length Herod the Idumaean tyrant by the favour of the Roman Emperours usurped the Kingdome slew Hircanus the King his Father-in law together with his owne Wife and Sonnes being all of the Blood-royall and line of David many of the Nobles of Iudah the whole Sanhedrim or Councell of Elders And so that prophesie of Iacob was fully accomplished Gen. 4â— 10 The Scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a Law-giver from between his feet untill Shiloh come meaning Christ Sometimes their Governour had the title of a Prince sometimes of a King they were now under a King then under a Queen as Alexandra Sometimes their Governour was both King and Priest as was Hircanus a little before our Saviour came in the flesh These changes were usually made with many mighty stirres and dismall battels There were semblably great changes in the ecclesiasticall Sate it seems they had sundry High-priests together sometimes as Luke 3.2 Annas and Caiaphas sometimes the High-priest was but annuall or but for a yeer in his office whereas by the law there was to be but one High-priest and he for terme of life There were divers different Sects of Religion risen up among them and some of them strange ones as Sadduces that denied the Resurrection
great earth quake was at least sixty yeares in doing its worke for so great a body as the Empire could not by created humane meanes be ruined in a short time And it is very remarkable both because it made so great a change in the Kingdomes of Europe and Affrick planting them almost universally with new Nations and names and in specially because that storme brought our fore fathers into this land setling here a new Nation and language It is thirdly also observable because in it the sixth head of the Roman Monarchy the Emperour went off and the seventh the Pope came on onely the question is about which of these times and degrees of the Empire destruction Haply not so high as Julians death for the Empire stood in good strength after that for thirty yeeres at least Nor so low as 455. when it was quite broken and not long after lost its very name but somewhere between viz. either about 410. when Rome it selfe the head of the Empire was taken or rather about An. â—96 when the Empire first began to be ruined that is plus minus about 400. yeers after Christ Even as the seventy years of the Jewes captivity are not to be computed from the 11. of Zedekiah when the City and Temple were taken and burnt and the State dissolved for from that time there be not sixty years in all till their returne under Cyrus but they must be reckoned from the captivity of Jehojakim ten or eleven years before even so very probably it is here Now if the Beasts reigne began about 400. after Christ then is there above 1240. gone of his 1260. yeeres so that the ruining earth-quake must needs approach And a man may wonder that so much worke should be done in so short a time as seemes to be remaining to it throughout Europe yea throughout the world but that the Text tels us it is the greatest earth quake that ever was Object The sixth head of the Empire continued long after the death of Theodosius the great Not in strength Answ 1 but was still more and more broken unto its dissolution It is not absurd to imagine that the sixth head and the seventh might be in some degrees together For first it is but a comparison not like the naturall head of which there can be but one at once more makes a monster and truly this Beast is a monster Besides the Imperiall and Papall head did not so thwart and crosse one another at first as afterwards they did so that it might be with them as Logicians say of contrary qualities they may consist together in the same subject gradibus remissis non intensis they might both of them have their power and yet not intrench upon each other Popes at first medled in a manner onely with matters of the Church as being desirous to settle their ecclesiasticall authority and the Emperours on the other side almost wholly busied themselves about the civill State to governe and defend the Empire And yet further which may lessen the absurdity before that you should have in the Roman goverment sometimes as it were two heads at once as Consuls who were for their yeere and a Dictator chosen it may be for three months or six mouths upon some extraordinary exigences and necessities of the State who was for the time supreme and namely in matters of warre as the Consuls were supreme for other civill affaires The earth-quake whereby Antichrists Kingdome is to be ruined approaches or is already entered as may apreare by this second Indice or evidence Because it is almost 1260. years since the ten Kings began and the Beast began with them as may appeare Rev. 17.12 The ten hornes which thou sawest are ten Kings which have received no Kingdome as yet but received power as Kings one houre with the Beast The ten Kings are the many Kingdomes that sprang up out of the ruines of the Empire as the Kingdome of England the Kingdome of France the Kingdome of Spaine c. These are called hornes aptly because Antichrist did with them as the Beast doth with his horne so the Dragon i. e. the heathen Empire had done before with them whilst they were his hornes Rev. 12.3 that is propugne himselfe and oppugne his adversaries For this hath been Antichrists course all along to push downe and gore even to death for the most part all those that opposed his idolatries and haeresies in all Nations by these hornes that is by the Kings and peoples of those Nations who have given their power and strength to the Beast Rev. 17.13 and who doe generally continue it to the Beast with one mind and consent making warre for him against the Lamb almost all and that most desperately unto this day Which have received no Kingdome as yet For when the Apostle wrote there were no suâ—h Kings in rerum natura or existent in the world as the King of England the King of France c. These Kingdomes then were hornes of the Dragon i. e. Provinces of the Empire and therefore in the description of the Dragon Rev. 12.3 the Crownes are not said to be upon the hornes that is upon the Kingdomes who had then no Kings of their owne but upon the heads that is upon the imperiall head at Rome as for instance this Land Brittaine was in the Apostles time a Province or Kingdome but it had no King of its owne and so no Crowne that was upon the head of the Emperour at Rome and he had supreme power over this Islrnd but whenas these Kingdames became the hornes of the Beast they came also to have peculiar Kings of their owne England had and hath its King France its King c. And therefore in the description of the Beast the Crownes are not said to be upon the heads but upon the hornes upon his hornes ten crownes Revel 13.1 But received power as Kings one houre with the Beast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the Kings and the Beast began their reigne together Now the Kings and Kingdomes began to arise about An. 400. after Christ when the Empire began to be destroyed haply some of them a little before for they had begun to breake the Empire foure or five yeeres before and therefore might then begin to be called Kings for God lookes at and so are we to looke at realities The Histories indeed doe not speake much of them under the name and notion of Kings untill after 400. or 410. but the Histories are very confused and no wonder for those were times of most strange confusion The Beast is said to begin with them at one and the same houre 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as the word may be interpreted the first houre the word in the Greeke text that signifies one as all that have any smattering in that language know signifies also first and so it may be interpreted that the Beast began to rise the very first houre the Kings began to rise rather then the
Die Mercurij 28. Augusti 1644. ORdered by the Commons Assembled in Parliament that Master Erle doe from this House give thanks to Master Reyner for the great paines he tooke in the Sermon he preached at the entreaty of this House at Saint Margarets Westminster it being the day of publique Humiliation and to desire him to print his Sermon and it is Ordered that none shall presume to print his Sermon without licence under his hand-writing Hen. Elsyng Cler. Parl. D. Com. I appoint Samuel Enderby to print my Sermon William Reyner BABYLONS Ruining-Earthquake AND THE RESTAVRATION OF ZION Delivered in a SERMON before the honourable house of COMMONS at Margarets Westminster at their publique Fast August 28. 1644. By William Reyner Pastor of the Church of Christ at Egham in Surrey and a Member of the Assembly of Divines Dan. 7.26 27. But the judgement shall fit and they shall take away his Dominion to consume and to destroy it unto the end And the Kingdome and Dominion and the greatnesse of the Kingdome under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most high whose kingdome is an everlasting kingdome and all dominions shall serve and obey him LONDON Printed by T. B. for Samuel Enderby and are to be sold at the signe of the Starre in Popes-head-Alley 1644. To the Honourable the Knights Citizens and Burgesses Assembled in Parliament and now sitting at Westminster Honourable Senators HAving had for a long time strong apprehensions out of the word of God of an approching storme upon the Nations of Europe for the ruining especially of Antichrst's Kingdome I thought it not unmeet for the times Auditors having your honorable call to the Worke to treat in your presence upon such a subject The Kingdoms states of Europe are grown old a man would think were come even to their years full ripenesse in all kind of sinfulnes prophanenesse but chiefly in idolatry persecution in the Ecclesiastical in tyranny and oppression in the Civill state and that under and against a great deale of light and meanes that either they had or might have had And there is a mervailous concurrence and agreement both in the generall Comminations of the word against sinnes so aggravated besides the examples and in the particular Prophecies and Praedictions of the last times all of them pitching upon this as that period of time wherein the Lord will visit The Lord is certainly driving on a great Worke both of mercy and justice of mercy towards his owne though by a way of severe correction in their Humiliation Purgation Probation Reformation Redemption from bondage and at last in the Restauration and great enlargement of the Church Of justice against his incurable enemies of all sorts and sizes in their perdition We must not be moved that the Worke is so long in finishing among us being haply not much more then begun There is assuredly a great deale for a publique calamity still to doe alas too much in every Country City Towne Parish Family Person many both persons and things are yet as it is to be feared among the Litigants on both sides that are to be removed and subdued Besides the Lord useth to deale with men as men the great power of the wicked cannot by humane meanes which God is pleased to use be suddenly and easily breken Neither can the godly â—â—sa 48.10 whom the Lord will not refine as silver purging out all their drosse at once be suddenly hammered unto a sufficient humiliation reformation c. But this divine agent chooseth to worke upon them according to their receptivity Neither let any be scandalized at some interruptions and rebates as I may say in the Lords proceedings and at some successes now and then granted to his Churches adversaries you shall find the like in all the great acts of God that be of the same nature But all things are carried on by the steady hand of the Almighty though through many oppositions repulses contingencies c. among men to their designed end and appointed period Not to speake of this that had not the enemies some encouragements as the Lords worke would hardly by them be perfected and finished upon his owne people so neither would they be hardned to their owne destruction If Pharaoh had never been released of the first plagues he would scarce have perished in the Sea at last I hope it will neither be unprofitable nor unacceptable as a Watch-man to put your honours and by you others in mind of these things I doe not deny but in the course of humane affaires there will be treaties among men for the composing of those differences that God casts in to be the occasion and meanes of executing his decrees Yea there must and for some reasons peradventure there ought to be such But I know I speake to men too wise to beleeve that God's quarrels can be taken up by humane treaties but they will without faile attaine the issue by God himselfe before prefixed and by his Word threatned and promised Neither doe I doubt but that the Church shall obtaine her desired peace and rest in the end when God's Worke is finished though no such meanes were used at all and give law to all her enemies till which time I looke for no solid and durable quiet to be by the people of God enjoyed yea I am confident upon the faithfull word of God that the Saints shall then enjoy things which would be but by a few even of themselves now desired and by the adverse party never yeelded The Temple of Salomon was built in a peaceable the latter Temple in a troublesome time but now though there be great noyses of Axes Hammers and tooles of Iron partly about the preparation for the new building but chiefely about the pulling downe of the old which is the great worke in hand yet when the appointed time of building is come the Church may promise unto her self from God and undoubtedly expest an absolute cessation from all these disturbances in Church and Common-wealth and a time farre above all that ever were of admirable freedome serenitie and tranquillitie There are some few things concerning the happy estate of the Church in her promised future reformation which time would not then suffer me to bring in I have here made bold briefly to adde them without which the former would have been imperfect I have purposely pretermitted some things subject to doubt and exception I humbly present all to your judicious view whom God hath thought worthy to make his Instruments to begin so great a Reformation in these Nations which will I feare not have a good influence by divine blessing upon others also abroad hoping stedfastly that the same God will through his infinite mercy in Christ by your hands in due time finish the same Which is the daily desire and prayer of him that is Humbly devoted to your service in the Lord WILLIAM
be No we may rather suspect that Antichrist was up before the Kings the Papacy having such strange appearances of â—im before any of the Kings sprang up and so some read those words Rev. 17.12 they received power as Kings one houre not with the Beast but after the Beast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The two Witnesses spoken of Object Rev. 11. are not yet slaine by the Beast neither is his triumph over them for three dayes and a halfe past and therefore the Beasts ruine cannot be so neare Before I give a direct answer Answ I must premise a few things First two were the least sufficient number in the law that could convincingly beare witnesse unto any thing and so by the two Witnesses here I understand not any two singular persons onely that either are or have been for I take it that cannot consist with the Text but in that number I include all those whom God hath raised up whether Ministers or others though chiefly Ministers to beare witnesse to his Truth and to sustaine his Cause against Antichrist and his gentiles That the number of them should be the least sufficient number as it were but two no more then might meerely suffice to hold out Gods truth a little to the world so few that though haply you might heare in a Countrey of some few that rejected the common tenents as of Justification by Workes the propitiatory sacrifice of the Masse c. yet you should scarce learne how to finde out one of them if they appeared the Beast and his agents presently shap'd them up therefore the woman and her children lived in the wildernesse all Antichrists reigne Reve. 12.6.14 and the Prophets Prophecied in sackcloath Rev. 11.3 Towards the end of Antichrists reigne the everlasting Gospell going forth should bring a great harvest to God Rev. 14.6.15 and mightily encrease the number of the witnesses The terme and duration of their witnesse-bearing to the truth must be of as long continuance as Antichrists opposing it viz. 1260. dayes or yeares and therefore these witnesses cannot be undeâ—stood oâ— any two individuall persons I assent to them that understand the slaughter of the witnesses civilly that is they are to be slaine as Prophets viz. put out of their direct way of witnessing as suppose by Preaching Printing c. but not alwayes as men that is to be put to death at least in a judiciary way of proceeding for they are to be killed but not buried Rev. 11.9 The enemies have given over that way of persecuting the Prophets generally for a good space a matter of sixty or seventy yeares you shall not I beleeve finde many examples within that space of Gods servants called before tribunals accused for their doctrine and worship formally Sentenced unto death and the sentence executed which was the adversaries generall way of proceeding in former times haply some few examples may be found like a few drops of raine falling after a great shoure They have forborne this course not our of any love or compassion unto the people of God but meetely because they durst not as hath beene said before and also because they found by proofe that this course praejudiced their cause sanguis Martyrum semen Ecclesiae the blood of the Martyrs being the seed of the Church Not to speake of this that the Prophets hereby in the enemies intention were more exposed to contempt their bodies lying dead in the street Rev. 11.8 like despised broken idoâ—s in whom there was no pleasure These things being praemised I come to answer the Objection It is probable at least that this last slaughter of the Prophets Answ and the Beast with his Gentiles triumphing over them for three dayes and a halfe by which according to the former exposition we may understand three â—â—ares and a halfe is already past and gone though but lately Because that of late yeares there hath beene such a slaughter of the Prophets throughout almost all the Nations of Europe and such a tearme of Antichrists triumph In the yeare 1618. began the devastation of the Churches in Bohemia the same fire presently takes hold upon the Provinces thereof Moravia Silesia Lusatia proceeds to Austria and Hungaria flies over also to the Palatinate and so by degrees wastes all the Provinces of broad and wide Germany killing the Witnesses generally in them all An. 1621. the storme assayles the Churches of France and though by certaine intervals and spaces between overcomes them and the Witnesses in them And though by the Providence of God they have some yet I take it but a very precariall liberty unto this very day Very lately the Witnesses have beene overcome and slaine in Polonia so that a very few yeares agoe the Gospell was preached publiquely but onely in two places in all those vast Dominions Last of all came in the slaughter of the Witnesses in our Churches of England Scotland and Ireland and as it is probable was brought to its period and perfection when the three precious witnesses of Christ were so outragiously sentenced had their eares cut off and were afterwards most unjustly and strangely exiled The enemies then accounted themselves to have obtained a compleat victory and so began their Song of triumph For I doubt not but this fact of theirs was in the enemies sence an universall signal to al the Popish world that the day was theirs and a perfect victory gotten every place was fill'd with their rejoycings Now after that three dayes and an halfe that is just three yeares and an halfe in a manner from the slaughter of those three witnesses were past by the meanes of this happy Parliament as by a voyce from heaven the Prophets begin to arise againe as from the dead and among them those three servants of God and an earth-quake begins to shake the enemies in all these three Kingdomes and no doubt will proceed further Neither let any man dispise this for the Beasts triumph for three dayes and a halfe whensoever it comes is necessarily to be computed and aestimated not from the end of the slaughter in all the Churches but from the slaughter that shall be in that Church wherein the Prophets shall be last slaine which very probably was our Church Neither can we imagine it to be otherwise unlesse we should surmise the slaughter of the Prophets to end in all the Churches at once which considering the worke is to be done in so many severall States and Nations is hardly possible Besides the Beast hath insulted longer then three yeares and an halfe over the Witnesses that were first slaine in other Churches but the Text speakes of his generall triumph which could not be untill he had overcome his adversaries in all the Churches generally and the Prophets resurrection is but yet as it were in its very beginning for they still lye slaine in most of the Churches The witnesses of some Churches have escaped as of Holland Object Switzerland Geneva
the thoughts of idolatry Iosh 22. the Lord God of Gods the Lord God of Gods he knowes and Israel he shall know say the two Tribes and an halfe to the ten being accused of an intention to revolt from God if it be in rebellion or if in transgression against the Lord save us not this day that we have built us an Altar to turne from following the Lord c. let the Lord himselfe require it Iosh 22.22 23. Much more shall the Reformation be excellent in the last ages wherein it is promised that there shall be new heavens and new earth new Church and new Common-wealth wherein righteousnesse shall dwell 2 Pet. 3.13 In the amplitude and extent of the Church before it was sometimes contained within the narrow bounds of Jury afterwards the Nations of the Gentiles had it successively first the easterne Nations then the westerne c. But now the Church shall be generally if not universally spread over all the world The Kingdomes of the world that is all the Kingdomes of the world shall become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ Revel 11.15 And so when the judgement hath sate and the Beasts Kingdome is consumed to the end then and not before then the Kingdome Dominion and the greatnesse of the Kingdome under the whole heaven it seemes to be spoken without all hyperbole shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most high Dan. 7.26.27 When the stone that is the Kingdome of Christ hath smitten the Image upon the feet and broken them to pieces it selfe shall become a great Mountaine and fill the whole earth Dan. 2.35 Then shall all Nations rejoyce in Christ Psal 67.2 3 4. then a great multitude not of a few but of all Nations and Kindreds and Peoples and Tongues shall stand before the Throne and before the Lambe praising God Rav. 7.9 Nations shall be borne in a day Isa 66.8 All Nations shall serve him Dan. 7. ult In the excellency of the government Christ shall then take to himselfe his great power and reigne Rev. 11.17 and the Saints under him The Saints of the most high shall take the Kingdome and possesse it for ever even for ever and ever age after age for many ages Dan. 7.18.27 they shall reigne on the earth Rev. 5. to 20.4.6 a thousand yeares They shall then indeed be the head and the wicked the taile Many tough and tedious disputes about government which exercise the Church now may haply be of small use in that Reformation It is to consist in the affluence and confluence both of spirituall and externall prosperity for the Lord having humbled and broken his by the earthquake may now trust them The Church hath been before like an homely huswife or like a poore woman living in a cave having scarce a rag to cover her nakednesse and bringing up her Children very hardly whereas Antichrists Strumpet in the meane while hath beene gorgeously attired in Purple with gold and precious-stones and pearles but now the Church shall be like a bride adorned for her husband Rev. 21.2 Now her peace shall be as the Rivers the Kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honour to her Rev. 21.24.26 Wait for it and hasten it by faith and prayer Use unbeliefe doth a world of mischiefe Our Saviour could not doe many mighty workes in his owne Country because of their unbeliefe Mat. 13.58 see also chap. 17.16 17 20. How it hindred the healing of the Lunatick the old Israelites for unbeleefe were debarred from entering into the Land of Promise Heb. 3.19 It hindered the building of the second Temple for it is remarkable that whilest the Jewes gave over the worke upon the complaints of their adversaries and the inhibitions of the Persian Kings unto whom they were then subject it never prospered but when they hearkned to the Prophets Haggai and Zechary and beleeved the promises which they brought from God they went on thoroughly and perfected the worke the Persian King Darius Nothus though the adversaries afresh complained consenting who also forbad their adversaries to hinder them upon their greatest poenalties yea commanded them with all possible diligence to further the Jewes in the worke God who hath the hearts of Kings in his hand so framing that Kings heart that he entreated the Iewes to pray for his life and the life of his Sonnes He had lost one or two before and now feared he should lose the rest Ezra 6. and this was almost six score yeares after they had laid the first foundation for in divers Kings reignes they were absolutely hindred Ezra 4. and were at times six and fourty yeares as it seemes in building it Iohn 2.20 I shall never see this Reformation Quest Thou canst not certainly tell Answ 1 the eye sees the Sunne I doubt not that shall see the beginning thereof Seeing thou wilt buy houses and lands yea reversions which thou never lookest to enjoy thy selfe for thine heires forward this for their sakes to come that the little ones may goe in and see that good land c. Faith is the substance of things hoped for it breeds such an apprehension of things promised and to come as gives comfort and confidence concerning them as we may behold in Abraham who rejoyced to see the day of Christ so many hundred yeares before it came Iohn 8.56 and in the old Saints Hebr. 11.13.40 who beleeving in him to come were saved Thou maist by the tastes of these clusters of Grapes set before thee in the former Priviledges discerne what a good Land it is Thou mayest by them as from off the top of Mount Pisgah behold it with thine eyes and view the Land round about The beleeving praeapprehension of these things will give a sweet fruition of them in measure before hand unto the godly Lastly beleeve and wait and though thou misse thy part in the new Ierusalem here on earth yet shalt thou certainly be a Sharer in that Ierusalem which is eternall in the Heavens FINIS A passage or two pretermitted 1 The westerne Roman Empire was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or that which did let the appearing of Antichrist which when it was taken away then was the man of sinne revealed 2 Thes 2.6 7 8. This belongs to the first Indice spoken of in the fourth Signe 2. The two Witnesses include all those that did sustaine the Cause of Christ against Antichrist and his Gentiles for the Text divides all within the visible Church during Antichrist's reigne into two ranks and no more viz. two Witnesses or Prophets the same are called worshippers and Gentiles Rev. 11.1 2 3. 3. The 1260. dayes of the Witnesses and the 42. months of the Beast begin and end together For else Christ should have none to be for him during some part of Antichrist's reigne For none are for him but the Witnesses Besides the Church was to be all that time in the Wildernesse for which provision is made Rev. 12.6.14 Errata Page 1. line 9. read ranne l. 10. r. houses p. 2. l. 12. r. Ezra 3. p. 3. l. 7. r. hieroglyphicall p. 6. l. 9. r. Tabernacle p. 13. l. 9. r. penitent p. 36. l. 19. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 41. l. 6. r. learned Curteous Reader if there be any more verball or literall mistakes as I doubt there are many pardon the Printers over-sight and correct them with thy Pen.
first houre after they were risen for therein is a difference of many yeeres it being almost sixty yeeres from the first breaking of the Empire before ten Kingdomes were set up in it That the word that is here translated one is used also to signifie first we may see in many instances as in that for one Luke 24.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is word for word one day of the Sabbaths or weeke but is generally rendered and so the meaning is the first day of the weeke the women came to the Sepulcher Now if the Kings and the Beast began their reigne together so long since as abovt An. 400. plus minus then is the earth quake that is to ruine him and them also if they persist in his service Dan. 2.44 45. Rev 19 18 19. c. neer at hand Qu. Quest What reason have we to thinke that the Pope about that time began to be the great Antichrist Ans Answ For answer We are to know that there are two particular characters of the Beast as some Divines have observed out of the text the former the cause of the later viz. 1. Blasphemy for he is full of names of blasphemie Rev. 17.3 by which understand haeresie and Idolatry 2. cruelty for he is a skarlet-coloured heast and makes warre with the Saints ibid. ch 13.7 But both these flow from an higher principle which is as I may say proprium quarti modi and a more convertible character of the beast and that is his primacy or supremacy This supremacy hath in it two things that make it up one is a claiming of authority over the consciences of men and so over their faith and worship secondly the extending of this power to all Churches in all Nations I will not say that these two are the same thing nor that they issue both from one and the same root but surely this I may say they are neer a kinne have their roots not farre asunder because they are generally still found in one and the selfe same person That both these meet in the grand Antichrist will appeare First he arrogates authority over the soule so much I take to be intimated in those words of Daniel speaking of him Dan. 7.25 He shall speake great words against the most high and thinke to change times and lawes that he shall arrogate power to himselfe to change Gods lawes as in coyning and altering Articles of Faith apointing worship for God c. high words great words against God so the Apostle 2 Thes 2.4 He as God sits in the Temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God How does he that viz. by Lording it over the consciences of Gods people as if he were God and thereby he deprives Christ of one of the principall Flowers of his Crown which is to have dominion over the Faith see more for this Rev. 13.5 6.15 16. Secondly the great Antichrist is to extend this power at least presumptively and intentionally where he cannot doe it actually over all Kindreds Tongues and Nations Rev. 13.7 It is Antichristian to claime such authority though but over one man or one Church It is more Antichristian to claime such authority over many Churches as the Hierarchicall Bishop useth to do it is yet more Antichristian to claim this authority over whole Provinces as the Hierarchicall Archbishop useth to do it is yet stil more Antichristian to claim it over many Provinces Kingdoms as the Hierarchicall Patriarch useth to do but yet all these do not amount to the grand Antichrist why because there may be a greater but now he that claims such soveraignty over all the Churches of the world is the grand Antichrist indeed for there can be no greater Now this the Pope doth yea that he may be sure to challenge as large a Dominion as Christ hath he doth not onely arrogate authority over all the world but also in heaven and hell where Christ hath power yea even in purgatory where Christ hath no power He that shall but looke upon the sentence condemnatory of Pope Leo the tenth in his his Bull against Luther will find this true wherein he doth not labour to convince Luther of errour by solid demonstrations out of the Word of God but mainly because his doctrine was contrary to the decrees of Popes c. He doth also charge and command all Patriarchs Metropolitans Primates Arch-bishops Bishops and all other ecclesiasticall orders downwards even to the begging Fryars and then all Kings Electors of the Empire Princes Dukes and so on and at last all men throughout the Universall world the very voyce proper and native language of the grand Antichrist upon paine of the great Excommunication that they doe not embrace Luther's doctrine nor adhere to or favour his person Now the Popes have challenged this supremacy in some degrees for above these 1240. yeares Not to speake of their claiming the title of universall Bishop nor yet their assuming the title of Pontifex Maximus the name of the chiefe heathenish Priest among the Romans which dignity many of the Emperours had annexed to their imperiall greatnesse which Gratian the Emperour first renounced about An. 380. and the rest after him they did about that time plainly arrogate and usurpe a judiciary power over the Churches To omit their authoritative excommunications some whereof had been long before they did then claime this Prerogative that appeales aught to be made to the Bishop of Rome from all Churches and he to give the last definitive sentence yea so zealous were they about this that An. 418. and 419. three Popes Zosimus Boniface Coelestine did in the sixt Councill of Carthage in which St. Augustine was present in the Cause of one Appiarius who had appealed out of Affricke unto Rome as many had done before not onely challenge the receiving of Appellations from all Churches but also forge a decree of the great Councill of Nice which had been almost an hundred yeares before to support it This was by the Fathers of the Synod indeed then rejected and the pretended Canon found to be forged and spurious Yet was this as a right by the Popes then challenged I never thinke upon these things but methinks I see the grand Antichrist as a great big Embryo swelling in the wombe ready to come forth or rather as a child lately borne lying in his cradle so that it is probable if not more then probable that between 390. and 420. Antichrist began Daniel speaking of these horns Object intimates that the little horne Antichrist that grew so great should come up after the rest Dan. 7.24 He speakes as it was in his perception and observation Answ the little horne râ—se with the rest but he did not nocdiscerne it Answ untill he considered the hornes as it were with a prying eye ver 8. and as it was in the Virion so it was in the accomplishment indeed he rose imperceptibly because the world mistooke what manner of creature he should