and is also the Kingdome of Christ or of the Messiah and is likewise styled the Kingdome of Heaven even in a Politicall sense as where it is compared to a Net Matth. 13. and elsewhere This Kingdome of Christ is the Kingdome of God in a more eminent and illustrious signification not onely for its holiness but also for the vast extent thereof according to the Hebrew Idiom For at long run it is to take in all the Kingdoms of the Earth But there is a more particular occasion of the styling of it the Kingdome of God from that passage in Daniel Dan. 2.44 And in the days of those Kings shall the God of Heaven set up a Kingdome which shall never be destroy'd From hence the Kingdome of Christ is called the Kingdome of Heaven and of God Now this great and notable Kingdome of the Son of man or the Messias was not present in our Saviour's days though it was in a near approch And therefore the Disciples might very well be taught to pray Thy Kingdome come and our Saviour preach that the Kingdome of God was at hand and encourage his little flock his few Followers in that at last the Roman Empire would fall into their hands as it did under Constantine the Great when Christianity became the Religion of the Empire But in that he saith Mar. 1.15 The time is fulfilled and the Kingdome of God is at hand that undoubtedly relates to the Seventy weeks of Daniel Dan. 9. which were upon their expiration about that time that Christ preached the Gospel of the Kingdome that is a little before his Suffering ver 25 26. For after seven weeks and threescore and two weeks that is sixty nine weeks the Messias was to be cut off and the people of the Iews cease to be God's people any longer under the Mosaicall Dispensation and the everlasting Righteousness ver 24. or the Eternal Law or Religion of Christ to be brought in and the Iudaicall Sacrifices to cease the Son of God being once made an Oblation upon the Cross for the sins of the whole world This is the Inchoation of the Kingdome of God so much spoken of in the Gospel which though it was at first but as a grain of mustard-seed Matt. 13.31 yet in a little time spred far and wide in the Roman Empire and was at last made Master thereof For I must confess I understand that Parable of the Mustard-tree in a Politicall sense not in a Moral and compare that which our Saviour adds by way of illustration of its greatness so that the birds of the air lodge in the branches thereof with that propheticall expression in Daniel where Nebuchadnezzar's Kingdome is also resembled to a wide-spreading Tree Dan. 4.12 The Beasts of the field had shadow under it and the Fowls of the Heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof And thus was Christ's promise made good to his little flock to whom he had declared that it was his Father's good pleasure to give them the Kingdome Luk. 12.32 Philop. This is handsome and to me not unsatisfactory O Philotheus so far as it goes But did not the Church of God both in Constantine's time and after pray Thy Kingdome come Philoth. I doubt it not Philopolis and it will never be unseasonable so to pray in the Moral sense either for our selves or others but hitherto it has been also seasonable in the Politicall For though the Church where uncorrupted with Idolatry and other gross Pollutions has been the Kingdome of God ever since it had a being whether in prosperity or persecution yet it has been hitherto but Regnum Lapidis not Regnum Montis and therefore in a Politicall sense they might ever pray that that might be fulfilled which was spoken by the mouth of the Prophet Daniel That the stone cut out without hands might smite the Image upon the feet Dan. 2.34 35 44. and become a great Mountain and fill the whole Earth and be a Kingdome that shall stand for ever a Kingdome of God's setting up that shall never be destroyed that is to say shall never relapse into Idolatrous practices nor be under their lash and subjection that do No power shall be able to persecute them for the purity of their Religion For it is the Kingdome of God triumphant and permanent that Daniel seems chiefly to point at as if that short stay of the Seventh King mentioned in the Apocalypse were scarce worth noting in these more compendious Visions Apoc. 17.10 Which seeming omission in the Vision of the Statue is more palpably repeated again in the Vision of the Four beasts For though the Kingdome of the Son of man was in the Reign of the Seventh King in a triumphant state yet because it was so short and unpermanent the Prophecy seems to take no express notice of it but to begin the Inauguration of the Son of man into his Kingdome upon the destruction of the little Horn which destruction is not yet compleated When Dan. 7.21 22. because of the great words the Horn spake the Beast was slain and his body destroyed and given to the burning flame namely the Beast with this little Horn with eyes in it which little Horn is more fully and distinctly represented in the Apocalypse under the figure of the Two-horned Beast then Daniel saw in the night-Vision and behold one like the Son of man came with the clouds of Heaven and came to the Ancient of days and they brought him near before him And there was given him Dominion and Glory and a Kingdome that all people and Nations and languages should serve him His Dominion is an everlasting Dominion which shall not pass away and his Kingdome that which shall not be destroyed which therefore is not so properly the Kingdome of God under the Seventh King but that Dominion of the Saints which emerges upon the Beast that is not and yet is his going into perdition Do you understand me Philopolis Philop. Very well XIV The Easiness of the Prophetick style and I think your Notion mainly solid Nor do I finde it any difficulty to converse with men touching these Propheticall Mysteries since I have pretty well conn'd the Prophetick style the knowledge whereof in my mind is as well more easie as more usefull and pleasant then Heraldry which yet every ordinary capacity is easily master of Philoth. I am exceeding glad to hear you say so O Philopolis and wish all the Gentlemen in Christendome were of your mind They would find such Conviction in the Prophecies of Daniel and the Apocalypse that I dare say we should in a short time be all of one opinion in matters of Religion Philop. I wish with all my heart they would set themselves to this so easie and pleasant kind of seriousness Bath Sensuality Levity and Profaneness of spirit makes holy things though of themselves very easie and pleasant both unpleasant hard and tedious to such unmoralized minds
That to infinite permanent and immutable Goodness of right belongs as well Omnisciency as Omnipotency the one as her Secretary the other as her Satellitium But the infinitely-good God is not onely of right but by nature both Omniscient and Omnipotent And from these three his infinite Goodness Wisedome and Power issue out all the Orders of the Creation in the whole Universe So that all the Creatures being his and his Goodness being so perfect immutable and permanent as never out of any humour as I may so speak vacillancy or supine indifferency to be carried otherwise then to what is the best and his Wisedome never at a loss to discern nor his Power to execute it we see the clearest foundation imaginable of the Right of that absolute Sovereignty we acknowledge in God For is there not all reason that he that is so immutably Good that it is repugnant that he should ever will any thing but what is absolutely for the best should have a full right of acting merely according to the suggestions and sentiments of his own minde it being impossible but that they should be for the best he having proportionable Wisedome also and Power adjoyned to this infinite Goodness to contrive and execute his holy just and benign designs Philop. In my apprehension Philotheus this is marvellously plain and such as I wanted no instruction in And therefore let me intreat you to draw nearer to the main point in hand which is the Kingdome of God properly so called For methinks we have done hitherto as if some having a design to observe more particularly some one Kingdome in the Map of the World suppose England France or Spain should forget their intended purpose and lose time in taking a vagary through all Europe at least if not all the four quarters of the World I desire Philotheus to understand what that Kingdome of God is that is amongst Men being less curious touching that part of his Dominion that he exercises over Angels whether lapsed or unlapsed or that Power he exserts upon the Kingdome of Nature whether Animals or Plants or other inferiour creatures Quae supranos nihil ad nos and there is in some sense the like reason concerning those things below us I desire my prospect may be enlarged onely towards those things that are on the same levell with my self which I press the more earnestly because of the streightness of the time I fear we shall be cast into Philoth. I commend your providence Philopolis and desire you to persist in this freedome of calling us back to those subjects you have the greatest mind to be satisfied in as often as we stray For this last Evening is wholly dedicated to your service But however for all the haste I affect to enter upon that Point you chiefly aim at VIII The Kingdome of God within us what it is namely What the Kingdome of God is signally so called I must first mention a Division before I fall upon that Definition For the Kingdome of God as it respects Men also is either Internall or Externall according as our Saviour has declared Neither shall they say Luk. 17.21 Lo here or Lo there for behold the Kingdome of God is within you Cuph. I suppose this Kingdome is much-what the same with the Philosophicall Kingdome of the Stoicks who make their wise man a King and Emperour and what not and count it their chief happiness to have a full dominion over their Passions especially the more grim and harsh ones that they may enjoy themselves in quiet Philoth. O no Cuphophron there is no sameness at all betwixt this Kingdome of the Stoicks and the Kingdome of God For this Kingdome of the Stoicks is the Kingdome of Selfishness and Self-love sways the Sceptre there and wears the Diademe But in the Kingdome of God God himself who is that pure free and perfectly unselfed Love has the full dominion of the Soul and the ordering and rule of all the Passions It is a wonderful thing to consider how multifarious the Impostures and false pretensions to this inward Kingdome are discovered to be by those that are really possessed thereof how one Passion as suppose Pride or Covetousness subdues all the rest unto it self and rules in stead of the Divine Love how all the Passions are brought into a demure subjection to the sense of some externall Interest especially if it bear the Title of Sacred or Holy and how men may be disciplin'd or educated thereto as Setting-dogs for the Game whenas the Soul in such a case has subdued all her affections onely to surrender her self a more absolute slave to the will of those men whose business it is to bring the World into blinde obedience by studied Impostures and Hypocrisies to such Laws as are made for their carnal Interest and in stead of propagating the Kingdome of God to plant the Kingdome of the Devil or Antichrist amongst men Let the Soul in such cases as these have never so great a command over her affections this is no Kingdome of God but a presumptuous and tyrannical Usurpation of some petty Masters against the Right of his Kingdome Unless this internall Kingdome be established in the Love and Peace and Patience of the Lord Iesus it is but the Reign of mere self-seeking Nature or the Kingdome of the Devil The Kingdome of God in the Soul is the Empire of the Divine Love which equally affects the good of all men Rom. 12.15 rejoyces with them that rejoyce and weeps with them that weep It is that state of the Soul whereby a man loves God with all his heart and all his soul Matt. 22.37 and his neighbour as himself Matt. 7.12 and deals with others as himself would be dealt with whereby a man earnestly desires the common good of all men and finds himself concern'd in repelling or preventing any publick evil To be brief It is the Rule of the Spirit of God in the Soul who takes the rains of all our Powers Faculties and Affections into his own hand and curbs them and excites them according to his own most holy will that is carried to no particular Self-interest but ever directs to that which is simply and absolutely the best This also is the Kingdome of Christ in the Inward man Hebr. 7.2 the mystical Melchizedek who is first King of Righteousness as the word signifies that is of impartial Rectitude and Uprightness without all Self-respects and then King of Salem that is Prince of Peace Finally it is that Kingdome which consists not in externall Superstitions but as the Apostle speaks Rom. 14.7 in righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Philop. This Internall Kingdome of God IX The means of acquiring it O Philotheus is so lovely and desirable that I cannot but request you to intimate the means of acquiring it before you proceed to the Externall Philoth. O how I love you Philopolis for this motion forasmuch as
I perceive that it cannot proceed from any vain curiosity but from a sincere desire of entring into life and holiness The most effectual means in the general is intimated up and down in the Gospels by our Blessed Saviour As where he compares the Kingdome of Heaven to a Treasure hid in the field Matt. 13.44 45. and to a single Pearl of great price for which one sells all that he has to purchase it and where he tells us that the Kingdome of God suffers violence Matt. 11.12 and that the violent take it by force and again where he declares that he that lays his hand to the plough Luk. 9.62 and looketh back is not fit for the Kingdome of God and in like passages For all these signifie thus much to us That whosoever would acquire so excellent a state of the Soul as this which we call the Kingdome of God he must forthwith quit all things else whatsoever that stand in competition with it That he must with all imaginable earnestness of spirit and with a kind of holy violence reach at it and endeavour the taking of it through all dangers hardships and resistences whatsoever as he that would scale the walls of a City to obtain the Crown and lastly That this pursuit be without any intermissions or lazy relapses into the power of the World or the Flesh again but that it be peremptory constant and continued till we have wone the prize and finde all that fulfilled in us which we desired or expected which is the perfect subduing of all our corruptions and the establishing of the Reign of the true Melchizedek in us the living Righteousness of God and the replenishing of our hearts with purity peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Philop. This is excellently good in the general O Philotheus But have you no farther directions more particularly to recommend to us Philoth. Truth lies in a little room especially that of it that is most usefull O Philopolis And therefore I will trouble you with no farther instructions then what are comprized in these few Principles As first That we have a firm and unshaken Faith in the Power of God and in the assistence of the Spirit of the Lord Iesus for the subduing all Envy Pride Lust all Worldliness and Selfishness and what-ever is contrary to the Kingdome of God in us that we may have a comfortable conquest over these and all like corruptions through him that strengthens us This is the first necessary Principle we ought to be imbued with if we mean seriously to set our selves to the atchieving so great and weighty an enterprise This I say is the first necessary Principle namely A full and firm belief that the Atchievement is possible The second is That we believe it to be our duty to arrive to this blessed state and not to satisfie our selves with any condition on this side of it much less out of any Antinomian Sophistrie or Witchcraft to phansie our selves released from all obligation to any real and living Righteousness in us but to be entirely obedient to the voice of Wisedome and Truth Matt. 5.48 Be ye perfect as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect and to remember that it was the end of Christ's coming into the world Matt. 15.13 to pluck up every plant that was not of his Father's planting and to raise such a seed upon earth as have neither spot nor wrinkle Ephes. 5.27 nor any such thing but are holy and without blemish If either of these two Principles be wanting the defect will be notorious in the success For who can with any courage attempt such difficulties as he thinks either impossible to be overmastered or not his duty to grapple with Wherefore being sound in these Philopolis he must adde Meditation Circumspection and Devotion Meditation in private especially Circumspection in his dealing with externall objects whether men or things that he be not carried away unawares against those rules and resolutions he made to himself in private but ever stand upon his guard and if he be assaulted with any temptation to call to Heaven for succour and to trust in the strength of God against the surprize Which I think is the true meaning of praying continually But in a more particular manner to adde to your private Meditation the fervency of Devotion and earnestly to beg of God that he would every day more and more discover to you the ugliness of Sin and the amiableness of Righteousness and that your hatred may be more keenly edged against the one and your love more highly inflamed towards the other that the work of the Heart may go on and not those umbratile skirmishes of the Brain in Phancie and exteriour Reason but that we may effectually feel the difference of the contrary actings of the Powers of the Kingdome of Light and the Kingdome of Darkness charging one another in the field Life against life and Substance against substance till Hell and Death be absorpt into victory and the evil Nature be quite consumed into a glorious flame of Love and Triumph These all are the Mysteries of the Heart O Philopolis not of the Head which in comparison is but an outward Shop of Phancies and fine Pictures but the transactions of substantial life and Reality are in that other part which is the secret Tabernacle of God and hidden Temple for most effectual Prayer For the Heart is the proper Pavilion of either the spirit of the World or the Spirit of God which kindles there the holy desire and thirst after Righteousness Which vehement sincere and cordial desire the true gift and fruit of the Spirit is the very soul and substance of Prayer and a certain Divine Magick that draws all the heavenly Powers into the centre of our Souls imbibing the comfortable dews of Paradise to the ineffable refreshing of the Garden of God Through this sluce is let in all the nourishment to the new Birth and it is the seat of the first living seed thereof Whence the Centre of our Soul in the Heart requires more diligent observation then that more peculiar one in the Head For though this seems more peculiarly ours yet the other joyns us with that which is more to us then we are to our selves whether it be the spirit of the world or of God and makes us feelingly communicate with Life and Substance whenas the other without this would onely lead us into a field of Shadows and Dreams Wherefore O Philopolis he that is a Candidate for the Kingdome of God let him above all things cultivate the Heart for through this onely is the Inlet into the Kingdome of Light Matt. 5.6 8. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be satisfied I stretch forth my hands unto thee Psalm 143.6 my Soul gaspeth unto thee as a thirsty Land where no water is Psalm 84.5 6
for the inferring the above-mentioned Opinion And what hurt is it O Cuphophron that God is conceived effectually to predestinate some men to Grace and Glory and so is proclaimed to be more good and gracious then the Arminians themselves would have him who put it to an adventure whether any man shall be saved or no Cuph. There were no great hurt in this I confess Bathynous but Reprobation or Predestination to eternall death that is the great reproch to the Reformed Religion Bath Though some private men are very express in that Point yet the publick Confessions of the Protestants are more modest and tender in that Article and onely are for a Preterition of persons no designment of them to sin and damnation which I promise you Cuphophron he that with an impartial eye looks upon the Phaenomena of Providence can hardly deny to be found verified in the effect Besides what the Scriptures themselves intimate Psal. 58.3 The wicked are estranged from the womb they go astray so soon as they be born These are great and profound Secrets and such as very good men may easily lose themselves in and therefore Mistakes in such Points may well be competible even to the members of the true Kingdome of God And that they took away Free-will so universally Divine Providence might permit them to slip into that Errour making use thereof as of another crooked Engine against the frauds and falsenesses of that crooked Serpent of Rome I mean the Pope and his Hierarchy For they being for Free-will and Good works more out of a design of merchandizing and inriching the Church with large Incomes of money for Pardons and Indulgences for Deliverances out of Purgatory for certain Sales and Contracts for Heaven and ensured shares and portions of the Elysian fields the founding Salvation upon God's eternall Decree and the declaring that we have no power of our selves to doe any thing for the obtaining eternall life this quite spoil'd the market of these crafty Merchants and over-turned the tables of these Money-changers For the way to Salvation was now discovered not to be those manifold formal postures which the Roman Tutours put their Novices into nor hard Penances nor commutation of Penances the main scope of the Discipline of that Church into pecuniary Mulcts for the amassing and heaping together an immense treasure of money but every one was admonished with sad and solemn preparation to frequent the Divine Ordinance the powerful preaching of the Gospel to be instructed in the stupendious Arcana of God's free Election and eternall Decrees and not to reckon upon the Certainty of Salvation from obedience to the devised Institutes of the Church which drove mainly at the dominion of the Priest and the sucking of the purses of the people but to make their Calling and Election sure that is to say to discover the certainty thereof by the inward fruits of the Spirit by Faith especially whereby they firmly believed that they were of the number of God's Elect and from thence by Love also to God and to their neighbour all which they conceived wrought in them not for any thing that they could doe or had done by way of Merit but merely by the free Spirit of Grace effectually operating in their hearts And I pray you Cuphophron how much did this state of things misbecome the Kingdome of God especially considering that whatever the Errour was it was in a Point so intricate as has puzzled the greatest wits of all Ages and was so seasonable that it tended highly to the overthrow of the Kingdome of Antichrist and was so harmless to the believers of it that while they disclaimed all Free-will or ability of doing any thing themselves yet were they seen carried on in all holy Duties of Devotion and Sobriety of life while the other Party that boasted so of their Free-will might be observed wallowing in all Worldliness and Sensuality and with their Free-will freely and merrily descending down together into the pit of Destruction Cuph. I think there is a kinde of Magick or Witchcraft in conversing with melancholick men Bathynous his speech has so fettered and confounded my spirit that I am half asham'd of this Allegation which I thought at first so dismall and formidable Reformed Christendome will be the Kingdome of God I think whether I will or no. Philop. I hope so Cuphophron Cuph. But are no other Christian Churches besides the Reformation the Kingdome of God Philop. Whether there be or there be not other Christian Churches that are part of God's Kingdome it nothing infringes the truth of the Reformation's being so But from the intimations of Philotheus I dare pronounce that no Christian Church that is in bondage under another Sovereignty or does not emerge into power upon the destruction or humbling of the little Horn that is the Papal Hierarchy can be that Kingdome Daniel points at or the Inchoation of the Fifth Monarchy Cuph. XIX The Charge of that horrid sin of Rebellion Of this I am not so solicitous O Philopolis but I anxiously desire an answer to the last Objection I intended touching the Rise of this pretended Kingdome of God For the adverse Party confidently give out that its first Birth was from Rebellion which is worse then the sin of Witchcraft Sophr. It is an ill Omen against your Objection O Cuphophron that your Scripture-quotation is so ridiculously impertinent For in Samuel where it is said that Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft 1 Sam. 15.23 it is spoken of the Rebellion of Saul against the Lord not of the people against Saul Cuph. But I mean the Rebellion of the people against Saul or the Secular Magistrate which is next to Rebellion against God whose Vicegerent he is Sophr. That assertion is very true Cuphophron but the Imputation of our Adversaries extremely false Bath Most assuredly O Sophron And that Character amongst the rest that belong to them which styles them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Liars I conceive is not to be restrain'd to their Legends and such like Forgeries but is to take in also their abominable Calumnies against the true Church of God For they are a generation of Vipers that make up the Resemblance of the old Serpent under Paganism in every stroke thereof And the Dragon was cast out Rev. 12.9 10. that old Serpent called the Devil and Satan which deceiveth the whole world And I heard a loud voice saying in Heaven Now is come Salvation and strength and the Kingdome of our God and the Power of his Christ for the Accuser of our brethren is cast down which accused them before our God day and night Wherein the impudence of religious Liars is set out as spreading Lies and Calumnies even before the face of Heaven and the presence of God And it is a note that our Saviour also of old has set upon Satan John 8.44 that the Devil is a Liar and the father of all Lies and Calumnies Euist. And that
Temple left for them to worship towards but the Holy Body of Iesus the Son of Mary which he carried into Heaven with him at his Ascension Philoth. These are very manifest Traces of Divine Providence Philopolis but nothing methinks so exact for the designation of the time of Christ's coming as the Seventy Weeks of Daniel we above mentioned For beginning the Epoche of the Weeks from the seventh year of Artaxerxes in Ezra 7 the Passion of Christ or of the Messiah who is there said to be cut off will fall within the last Week And is not this a notable precise Prediction to be made five or six hundred years before the Event Hyl. This is indeed a notable demonstration of Providence if there be an easie Congruity of the Text to the Event Philop. Take that upon my credit Hylobares the Application is marvellous easie and natural and such as can have no corrival as I understand from * See Doctor More 's Mystery of Godliness Book 7. chap. 4. a late Explication of that Prophecy Philoth. But there is yet a more early Prediction O Philopolis of the Sufferings of Christ in Isay who prophesied above an hundred years sooner which Prophecy contains severall other Characteristicks also of his Person Philop. You mean Isay 53. That is indeed a very illustrious Prophecy and such as I am abundantly satisfied in As also of the exact Providence of God and of his vigilancy over his Church in thus foretelling the determinate time and proper characters of the Person of Christ the Saviour of the World But my mind is carried on to the Success of his coming Philoth. He that is represented riding on the white Horse at the opening of the first Seal in the Apocalypse Apoc. 6.2 with his Bow in his hand did at last hit the mark which was aimed at and he then took possession of that Crown that was given him when at the sixth Seal the Roman Empire under Constantine became Christian. But as the Spirit of Prophecy had foretold that through many tribulations and afflictions we should enter into the Kingdome of Heaven so through many horrid and bloudy Persecutions and difficult Oppositions did Christianity possess it self of the Empire And therefore this time of Conflict is fitly prefigured by that bloudy Battel betwixt Michael and the seven-headed Dragon and that most direfull Persecution of all begun in Diocletian's time and continued through the Reigns of some other Emperours by the Altar Apoc. 6.9 10. at the fifth Seal under which were seen the Souls of them that were slain for the word of God and for the testimonie which they held who cried saying How long O Lord holy and true dost thou not judge and avenge our bloud on them that dwell on the Earth But after this greatest extremity was that high Victory of the Church in Constantine that mighty Earthquake Ver. 12. at the opening of the sixth Seal which dissettled and broke a-pieces the Pagan Power and cast the Empire into the lap of the Church Wherefore that was fulfilled in a more eminent manner which was spoken by the Prophet Daniel Dan. 2.44 And in the days of these Kings shall the God of Heaven set up a Kingdome which Kingdome is called the Kingdome of God and the Kingdome of Heaven as I told you before out of these Prophecies which begun indeed with Christ and his Apostles and therefore is more commonly called the Kingdome of Christ but was most notoriously so when by their fortitude and sufferings they had subdued the Roman Empire to Christ's Sceptre and so continued while the Church was Symmetrall as it was all the time of the six Seals But within the confines of the fourth and fifth Century this externall Kingdome of Christ began to degenerate into the Kingdome of Antichrist and the Beast that had received the deadly wound was again a-healing Apoc. 13.3 and all the Idolatries and Superstitions of the Pagans were at last revived in a spurious kind of Christianity and the new-fangled Idolatrous Ceremonies of the Church became the living Image of old Heathenism Ver. 14 and finally the Beast that was not during the Reign of the purely-Christian Caesars became the Beast that was Apoc. 17.8 and is not and yet is For the Empire became Pagan again by becoming Idolatrous and yet not that old Pagan Empire because it was paganized with a pseudo-Christian kind of Idolatry and yet by resemblance it is that old Pagan Empire Idolatry and Murther and other gross Enormities being so lively strokes in the feature of them both This is the Success Philopolis Philop. XXV The Apostasie of the Church how consistent with the durableness of God's Kingdome in Daniel This I believe is too true Philotheus but how consistent is that Apostasie of the Church with what follows in Daniel For he saies In the days of those Kings suppose in the fourth of them viz. the Roman shall the God of Heaven set up a Kingdome which shall never be destroy'd but it shall break in pieces and consume all those Kingdoms and it shall stand for ever How is this standing consistent with that Apostasie Philoth. This is a material Objection Philopolis but the Answer is not far to seek For though we should not grant that in a more Externall and Politicall sense even degenerate Christendome may be called the Kingdome of Christ and that these Representations of her Apostasie do not so much mean that she is no Spouse of Christ at all as that she is a whorish one and that her Enormities are onely set off at that height the more effectually to reclaim her or make people forsake her Communion This alone may satisfie this difficulty that all along this abhorred Apostasie of the Church set out by those figures of the Whore of Babylon the two-horned Beast and the false Prophet the healed Beast with ten Horns and the Proculcation of the outward Court by the Gentiles for 42 months as also by the little Horn with eyes spoken of by Daniel Dan. 7. who was to domineer for a time and times and half a time we are to consider that there is a Continuance of the true Apostolicall subjects of Christ's Kingdome all this time synchronall to this Apostasie and prefigured by the Virgin-Company in the Apocalypse by the two Witnesses prophesying in sackcloth 1260 days and by the Woman in the wilderness continuing there for a time and times and half a time So that the Kingdome begun by Christ and his Apostles though plagued and persecuted and cruelly opposed by both Rome Pagan and Rome Antichristian was never yet subdued but remains still for all those glorious purposes God intends it to this very day This is that precious stone cut out without hands which must become that Mountain that will fill the whole Earth Dan. 2.35 and not that carnal lump of Idolaters and bloudy Murtherers These are the Hundred forty four thousand mustered on Mount
prospect I shall pray Thy Kingdome come with a more peculiar Emphasis for this day's Instruction Philotheus then ever I have done hitherto in all my life But that I may doe it with the greater Plerophorie I pray you proceed to the next Point and declare the Grounds of this your so glorious hope Philoth. Why XII What Grounds of hopes out of Scripture for that glorious state of the Church to come are you at a loss Philopolis for the Grounds of this hope when you have heard so many Prophecies assuring you of it Philop. But who knows Philotheus but that they may be conditional and may take effect onely according to the uncertainty of our will Philoth. That implies as if these things depended on our merit But the great Affairs of the World and such as are the chief Objects of Divine Prediction do not hang on such weak hindges There is a Fate assuredly O Philopolis there is a Divine Fate and irresistible Counsell of God Almighty that maugre all that can be done by men or Devils must take effect in its season Jer. 2.24 The wilde Asse in the wilderness snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure who can turn her away They that seek her will not weary themselves after her in her month they shall finde her And David foretells Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power Psalm 110.3 Ezek. 37.3 Son of man can these bones live saith God to Ezekiel in the Valley of dead mens bones But he answered with reverence O Lord thou knowest insinuating that it was in his power whether he would make them live or no. But you know when once God had commissioned the Prophet to prophesie on the dead bones Ver. 4 5. and to say unto them O ye dry bones hear the word of the Lord Behold I will cause breath to enter into you and you shall live the effect did most certainly follow For there was a noise and a shaking Ver. 7 8. and the bones came together bone to his bone and they were straightway covered with sinews flesh and skin And so when he had said Ver. 9 10. Come from the four winds O breath and breathe upon these slain the breath came into them and they lived and stood up upon their feet an exceeding great Armie Was there ever any case more hard and desperate then this Philop. I doubt not but God can if he will bring up such a glorious state of things as are prophesied of but that our demerits may put a stop to it Philoth. Such vast Oecumenicall favours as these Philopolis are not dispensed according to our Merits but according to the free Counsell of God Hear what the same Prophet saith to the house of Israel Ezek. 36.22 23. Thus saith the Lord I doe not this for your sakes O house of Israel but for my holy Name 's sake that I may not be blasphemed amongst the Nations I will sanctifie my great Name which is profaned among the Heathen and the Heathen shall know that I am the Lord saith the Lord God when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes Ezek. 36.25 26 27. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I cleanse you A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stonie heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my Iudgements and doe them What think you of this Language Philopolis And there are many such Expressions in the Prophets Philop. I must ingenuously confess that I think that such National or Oecumenicall Mutations of things for the best do not depend on our Merits or Free-will For so far as I see here God gives both to will and to doe according to his own Counsell and the Predictions of his holy Prophets that his Providence may not be suspected nor his Name reproched amongst Unbelievers Sophr. The description of the New Covenant in Ieremie is also according to this tenour Jer. 31.33 34. After those days saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people What out of any Merits of theirs No but merely out of his own good pleasure For I will forgive their iniquities saith he and I will remember their sins no more Bath The Souls of men at last for the eternal High-priest's sake return into their Sabbatism of spiritual Rest. Philoth. Besides this Philopolis see what a causeless thing this is thus to mistrust Divine Providence who has so steddily and peremptorily carried things on hitherto according to the Predictions of the Prophets touching the Affairs of his Church as you have heard all along from the beginning to this very day Not to take notice of those things before our Saviour's Ascension and his sending down the Holy Ghost according to promise Apoc. 6.12 consider how punctually the six Seals are accomplished and in the sixth the Victory of Michael over the Dragon when under Constantine the Roman Empire became Christian. An Event out of the reach or ken of any mortal eye to foresee onely our Saviour the onely-begotten of God foretold it his followers in that saying Fear not Luk. 12.32 little flock it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdome Consider also the distinct Accomplishment of the six Trumpets during the succession of which according to Divine foresight and prediction there was the Virgin-company or the Woman in the wilderness and the mournfull prophetick Witnesses as well as the two and ten-horned Beasts and the Whore of Babylon or the false Prophet And how in the last Half-time Apoc. 11.11 12. or Half-day within the blast of the sixth Trumpet there was a great Earthquake and the slain Witnesses rose and to the admiration of the beholders in despight of all the Persecutions of that Man of Sin ascended gloriously into Heaven by the late Reformation in severall Kingdoms and Principalities Are not these very great things O Philopolis Philop. They are so indeed Philotheus Philoth. And such as are plainly set down in that admirable Book of Divine Fate For it is expresly written For God has put in their hearts to fulfill his will Apoc. 17.17 and to agree and give their Kingdome unto the Beast untill the words of God shall be fulfilled that is to say till the times be accomplished foretold by the Prophet Daniel Dan. 7.25 till the seventh Semi-time be expiring Then there will be amongst the ten Horns those that will hate the Whore Apoc. 17.16 and shall make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire that is shall abolish the Papal power and
Religion in their Dominions Which yet was an Event beyond the conceit of all the Papal Politicians that Church accounting herself impregnable and saying in her heart Apoc. 18.7 I sit as a Queen and am no widow and shall see no sorrow What shall God thus effectually permit the Degeneracy and Apostasie of the Church till a certain time and shall he not more irresistibly effect that promised Recovery of her into Righteousness and Glory For these great and Oecumenicall Graces as I told you before he dispenses not according to our Merits but for his own Name 's sake that his Glory may be known And how inglorious a thing would it be Philopolis to make so express so vast so illustrious and absolute Promises and then ex flamma dare fumum to let all vanish into smoak Or what a piece of gross Diffidence and Unthankfulness is it in us when that he has unexpectedly fulfilled in a considerable manner that Prediction of the Ruine of the Papacy already in the ten Horns hating the Whore and burning her with fire which is the close of the sixth Trumpet and that we are proceeded to the third Vial in the seventh as I told you and know as it were in what Longitude and Latitude we are in this Voiage that we should seeing the steddy steering of Providence hitherto in the Affairs of the Church from the beginning to this very day have any mistrust or doubt but the same Providence will bring us safely at last to the desired Haven Philop. You would almost persuade a man that it is impossible but that it should be so in the conclusion But what will you say to those that pretend that these glorious Promises are fulfilled already XIII That the glorious Times predicted by the Prophets have not yet appeared on the face of the Earth Philoth. Why Philopolis has the Devil as he is expresly so called been laid hold on bound with a chain and cast into the bottomless pit and seal'd up there for the space of a thousand years since Christ's time From the beginning of the Christian Church to Constantine's time did not this old Dragon fight with Michael in Heaven Apoc. 12.7 and was beat and cast down to the Earth not till under the sixth Seal And were not the ten bloudy Persecutions of the Church during that Battel And after Constantine's time to say nothing of Iulian the Apostate what a Torrent of Bloud and Contention did the Dragon spew out of his mouth in the Arian Persecution Apoc. 12.15 to have swept away the Church if he could which was not quite extinguished for about an hundred years or more after it had begun About three hundred years after Constantine did that great Impostour Mahomet begin the Saracenicall Kingdome How close then think you was the Devil sealed up in his Prison from deceiving the Nations Apoc. 20.3 If we should run through all the six Trumpets are they not so many testimonies of the Devil 's being still then loose For who but he raised that mighty Tempest of Hail mingled with bloud and fire under the first Trumpet Apoc. 8.7 I mean that bloudy Irruption of the barbarous Nations into the Empire that wasted all with fire and sword Both these under Alaricus and those that after followed under Radagaisus the Scythian as also others in the year 406 no man can imagine what a raging Tempest they were but he that reads the story The second Trumpet also how direful a fate did it sound under which the Empire was dilacerated into so many Kingdomes Apoc. 8.8 upon Alaricus and Gensericus's casting the burning Mountain into the midst of the Sea After which under the third Trumpet the sorrowful Western Caesareate Ver. 10. compared to a Star or Lamp but fed with the oyl of wormwood in its sliding condition drew on along with it much trouble and Calamity and was in a short time quite extinct in Augustulus the last Western Emperour vanquish'd by Odoacer the Herule who thereupon made himself King of Italy Euist. But after sixteen years Reign he was overcome and slain by Theodorick King of the Ostrogothes who besides Dalmatia and Rhaetia which were the Provinces of Odoacer added also Sicily to the Kingdome of Italy and with a vast expense repaired the Walls and buildings of Rome administred the Affairs of his Kingdome with great wisedome and moderation retained the ancient Dignities and Offices of the City as Consuls Senate and other known Magistracies of Rome insomuch that bating the infamie of her having been so sadly burnt and spoil'd she seemed plainly to have recovered her ancient splendour and glory Philoth. You say true Euistor But this state of things lasted but a few successions of those Kings of Italy and was quite blown away at the blast of the fourth Trumpet Apoc. 8.12 For upon the War that Iustinian raised against them under the conduct first of Belisarius and after of Narses the Consulship and Senate and other Orders of Magistracy were quite abolished and the City governed by a Duke substituted by the Exarchs of Ravenna to whom Rome was also made Tributarie Thus were their Sun and Moon and Stars smitten and the glory of their City turned into baseness and Obscurity And lastly what infinite Devastations the Locusts C. 9. ver 1. that is the Saracens under the fifth Trumpet Ver. 14. and the Euphratean Horsemen that is the Turks under the sixth both which are called Wo-Trumpets did upon the Empire both the Title of the Trumpets and the description of the Visions do abundantly declare So that certainly all being so full of Wars and bloudshed and that in the Empire that was denominated Christian and look'd upon as the visible Kingdome of Christ through all the first six Trumpets the Devil as he is a Murtherer could not be then sealed up in his Prison And if you consider how the reign of the two-horned Beast or false Prophet synchronizes with these six Trumpets you must acknowledge him also loose as an Impostour not onely deceiving the Nations but that people which is called the Church of Christ. Philop. This to me O Philotheus is very demonstrative that the Millennium wherein that old Serpent Apoc. 20.3 the Devil and Satan is said to be bound has not yet begun upon Earth And therefore I must ingenuously confess that nothing is so plain according to Scripture as that the glorious Times there predicted and so described in those places you have produced are yet to come Nothing is more demonstrable out of Scripture then this But are there not also Arguments of a lower allay that Reason and prudent Sagacity may suggest Philoth. XIV What grounds in Reason for the coming of those glorious Times I will tell you rather O Philopolis what Life and Experience doth suggest To me I must confess it is a wonder the World is no better then it is Vice and Wickedness to my sense seeming so harshly
to purifie the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they may become an holy Temple and Priesthood the new Ierusalem that City of God whose Wall is of Jasper and the City of pure Gold like to transparent Glass The Spirit of Elias is the spirit of Burning and of Anguish the spirit of sharp Reproof and bitter Repentance the spirit of travail and pain in Sion's new Birth But the Regnum Spiritûs is the actual Renovation of the World into perfect Righteousness Peace and Joy Philop. XXIII Certain Principles tending to the acceleration of the glorious Times of the Church You speak of most excellent Things and Times O Philotheus and with such a confident career that you hurry a man away not onely into a belief that they will be but into an impatience that they are not already Which therefore makes me eagerly desire to hear you discourse of the Means of accelerating these good Times Philoth. And that I shall Philopolis but with all possible brevity for fear I should keep you up again too late of the night But I shall impose upon you in nothing but appeal to your own judgement if what I propound be not right As in the first place That Reformed Christendome is the true visible Kingdome of God The First Principle and that therefore all men are bound in Conscience by all lawfull means to promote the Interest thereof Philop. That Reformed Christendome is the Kingdome of God Philotheus I am fully persuaded and of the duty thereupon depending Cuph. But we of the more Philosophicall Genius O Philopolis are not of so easie a belief but make longer pauses in so weighty Points before we close with them Philop. Why XXIV Of Luther's Conference with the Devil touching the abrogating of the Mass together with his Night-Visions of flying Firebrands what 's the scruple now with you Cuphophron Cuph. Why do you think that that can be the Kingdome of God whose foundation is laid by the Activity of the Devil For my part I am no great Historian but what I reade I reade impartially and those that you call the Kingdome of Antichrist do with great noise and confidence averre that Luther abolish'd the Mass upon Conference with and Instructions from the Devil Bath O Cuphophron light of belief Does your Philosophicall Considerateness permit you to give any credence to such things As if either Luther had any real Conference with the Devil about the Mass or if the Devil did dispute against it that it was in the behalf of the Reformation It is true Luther himself a person of great plainness of heart and no great Naturalist saies that at midnight he awakening was presently in a Dispute with the Devil whom he describes speaking with a strong and deep voice to him But thus has many a man awakened into the perception of a struggling with the Night-mare or Ephialtes as with some real person which when they have been more perfectly awaked they have found to be nothing else but a Colluctation with their own phancy the more knowing especially But the more ignorant and superstitious and you know Luther had been a long time a very devout Monk whose Cells are full of the stories and phancies of Apparitions and Devils do ordinarily take such passages for externall Realities Which I must confess I conceive to be Luther's case For he had a body and complexion obnoxious to such Illusions But suppose it was not an Illusion of phancy It does not presently follow that that invisible Disputant was a bad Angel or a Devil That may be imputed onely to the modesty of Luther that he thought so who professes himself no affecter of Dreams nor Visions of Angels And therefore the good man in an humble ignorance took this Dispute to be an Exagitation of the Devil but was so sincere a lover of the Truth that when he was convinced thereof he would not disown it or refuse it though it had been blown upon by the breath of Beelzebub Acts 16.16 As the Pythonissa's witnessing to the truth of the Gospel in the Acts does not put Paul and the rest of Christ's followers out of conceit with the Christian Faith Nor did the Devil's confessing Iesus to be the Messiah Mark 3.11 the Son of God make the Doctrine of Christ less passable with the Apostles or any other Disciples And therefore lastly admit that it was not a good Angel but a Devil it does not follow that the Truth is less Truth or that it is any Argument against the Reformation or that the Devil began this Dispute with Luther in favour of it but rather of Papism For he foreseeing how obvious and usefull those Arguments were for the abrogating of the Mass and that Luther could not but hit on them in the conclusion he like a cunning Sophister to prevent the ruine of his own Kingdome suggests these Reasonings to Luther betime that they being thus disparaged by the first Inventour of them might doe the less execution against the Mass and therewithall against the whole Lurry of Popish Idolatry and Superstition For this was a device worthy that old Serpent Cuph. And you Bathynous I think have a fetch beyond the Devil himself My Philosophy had not considered the thing so throughly But now I am more awakened to consider of it why may it not be some crafty fellow got into Luther's Bed-chamber that thus abused him there are such Stories of men speaking through Trunks and with the same design the Devil is supposed to have had in it this crafty Knave personating the Devil Bath Any of these waies in my judgement are sufficient to take off that odium that some would cast upon the Reformation from this passage of Luther And I look upon the first as not inferiour to any of them as corresponding with the conceit which I have also of his nocturnall visions of the flying Fire-brands Which appearance I believe was onely in his phancy because alwaies after this appearance he was tormented with a grievous distemper of the Head and had usually the oil of Almonds put into his ears for a cure or mitigation Philoth. I can never think of these nocturnall visions of the Fire-brands Bathynous but with a reflexion on the fieriness of Luther's spirit whose invincible zeal so far emboldened him as publickly and solemnly to cast the Pope's Bull and Canon-Law into the fire and in conclusion by the fiery Activity of his indefatigable spirit to burn down a great part of the Papal Monarchy as a * Dr. Heylia in his Geography late Historian phrases it with allusion to Luther's fire Bath That so it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the mouth of the Prophet Ezekiel against the King of Tyre Ezek. 28.18 Thou hast defiled thy Sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities by the iniquity of thy Traffick therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee it shall devour thee and I
Church of Christ upon Earth For these are the proper Ioys and Entertainments of those Souls who being dead to all Self-interests finde it the solace of their heart to behold the flourishing Interest and growing Prosperity of the People of God I must confess that the Authour of these Dialogues interprets Prophecies at an high rate of Confidence in the behalf of Reformed Christendome against their professed Adversaries Which may seem to some the more wild and Ecstaticall the Discourse having been drawn up in such Circumstance of Affairs as every one conceived to bode ill to the Reformed Party And how busie and successfull the Romanists have been this present Age in proselyting people to their Church there is none but must take notice of from either Experience or common Fame But this could not discourage the Authour from receiving those important Truths which were so clearly reflected to him from the pure and infallible Word of Prophecie Which he steddily fixing his eyes on did not at all regard the ill-boding aspect of the Affairs of the World For he that has not a due measure of Faith in God and Fortitude of Spirit can neither be Prophet More Nevoch part 2. cap. 38. as Maimonides well observes nor any good Interpreter of the Prophets I know the good news will not be alike acceptable to all nor alike credible but that very well-meaning people may be prone to imitate that of Abraham Gen. 17.18 O that Ishmael may live before thee desponding in a manner of all such attainments as they finde not a palpable Pledge of in the present Causality of things If Abraham be an hundred years old and Sarah ninety he that prophesies of an Isaak to be born will hardly escape being laugh'd at for his news by an over-aged Sarah Gen. 18.12 But most of all if he predict so sprightly and so illustrious an Issue to spring out from a Stock so dead and withered But they that receive the Message cannot forbear to doe the Errand they are sent upon whatever may be their Reception Ezek. 43 10. Thou son of man shew the House to the house of Israel that they may be ashamed of their iniquities and let them measure the Pattern To this end is the Glory and Perfection of the future state of the Church set out unto us that we may know what to be at and make as near and quick approches thereto as we can It is not therefore to reproch the present Condition of Reformed Christendome but to animate them and encourage them by these good Tidings to use such means and to countenance such ways as lead the most directly to that glorious state of the Church which both the Holy Oracles of God do so plainly set before our eyes and ourselves so expresly pray for in our publick Devotions It is no more a Reproach then to tell a young Childe that he is as yet but a Childe but that he will live to come to the stature of a lusty proper Man onely let him use a regular Diet and due Exercises of his growing strength which wil conduce thereto So harmless in the general and so usefull is the Design of these present Dialogues Nor can I divine what Particulars may any ways disgust any one that is Christianly affected unless the Behmenists Cartesians and Platonists may fansie themselves not so civilly dealt withall The first because their great Authour Jacob Behmen though acknowledged a pious and well-meaning Writer and not unusefull for the exciting of the Sentiments of sincere Piety in others is not allow'd to be such an inspired Man as that all that he dictates should go for infallible Oracles But it being so discernible to the intelligent that he is an Enthusiast there is no faithfull Minister of the Kingdome of God will ever stick to declare it for fear of that great Dis-interest that would be done to Religion if those that are the most zealous Well-willers thereto should not discover themselves to be of so sound a minde as not to be imposed upon by the highest Heats and strongest Surmises or Confidences of any man's Melancholy whenas the Prophaner wits are so prone to suspect that there is no Religion but is such The other two may haply be offended at the Writer of these Dialogues for introducing Cuphophron who sustains the person of both a Cartesian and Platonist at once so unsettled and fickle and unconcerned in the great Points of Christian Religion as if Cartesianism and Platonism did necessarily incline men to that unsound temper of minde Which I am confident is not the opinion of the Authour of the Dialogues But being aware how some Theorems in those Philosophies may easily fill up and swell those Souls that are more aiery-minded and how this Anticipatory Self-fulness join'd forsooth with the affectation of a strict Mathematicall Evidence for every thing such as Cartesius pretends to but falls infinitely short of almost every-where in his Philosophy he being aware I say that this may raise a Genius in this Philosophicall Age over-wanton and coy and such as will keep aloof off from being so heartily concerned in the Apostolick Truths of Christianity as they ought his foresightful Solicitude in the behalf of the Kingdome of God and for the preventing the growth or appearance of any such mischievous Monster stirred him up thus timely to set out the Contemptibleness and Ridiculousness of that Dispensation that it may never have the Confidence to appear upon the Stage to the destruction of Souls and detriment of the Church of Christ. So that how-ever harsh this may seem to some yet it is excellent preventive Physick and the sound and judicious must acknowledge the purpose of him that administers it to be sober and laudable Thus well fitted every way are these Dialogues to serve the Spiritual Interest of the Church of God And lastly for that Interest Reader which thou callest Politicall they have their Serviceableness in that regard also As to instance in some few Passages for many One of the Principles whereby Reformed Christendome is represented as reducible to this excellent State we speak of is a sincere and unspotted Loyalty in the Protestants to their Lawful Sovereigns Another the Countenancing or Allowing of that chearfull and effectual Doctrine for promoting a good Life I mean that of A Faith in the Power of the Spirit of Christ for a signal vanquishing and subduing all manner of Sin in us such as Pride Covetousness Revengefulness and the like For there is nothing that can tend more to the publick Peace then this The conscience of Religion in its crude and raw estate is a thing very harsh and bitter especially in an hot Complexion both to it self and others like the state of Dentition in Children which makes them wrangling and froward and vexatious both to themselves and the whole house And for want of this Doctrine I speak of few or none of the seriously-Religious can well emerge out of
many as receive they become the sons of God as being born 2 Cor. 4.16 not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh but of God And this also is that inward man of which Paul professes that though the outward perish is yet in the true Saints of God renewed day by day Wherefore he that is arrived to this Substantiality of life will be fixt in all useful Divine Truths and the Reasons that grow on such a Root will be found solid and permanent by him that has the Root but where they are merely verbal and imaginarie and float onely in the Brain the Heart being animal and brutish they may easily prove very weak fugitive and vanishing Not that they are so in themselves but may appear so to those who have onely the Picture of the Flower in their Brain not the Root in their Heart in which is the Pavilion of Life and inmost Tabernacle of God in the Soul He that lives in this dispensation of life O Hylobares can never be dissettled in his thoughts touching the Existence of God and his Providence or the Immortality of the Soul For he cannot be prone to suspect the Soul's capacity of living separate from the Body whiles he perceives her to live at that distance and defiance with the Body already while she is in it nor at all doubt of the Existence of God whose power spirit impulse and energie he so distinctly perceives in his own Soul For such is the nature of the Divine Life that none that feels it but must confess it not to belong to any creature as such but to be the very Power and Spirit of God actuating the Soul How can he then doubt of Him whose power and presence he so sensibly feels Wherefore this Dispensation of Life Hylobares is all in all to him that desires to philosophize with steddiness and solidity Hyl. These are great and magnificent things which you declare O Philotheus but yet such as seem to me neither incredible nor unimitable And therefore God willing I shall endeavour as well as I can to steer my course according to the Rules you have intimated and make it my main scope to attain to that state which you call the Dispensation of Life For I see all is very vain and shadowy without it But in the mean time I must crave pardon of Philopolis that I have occasioned Philotheus to mis-spend so much of that time that he thought too little for his own design and for the present purpose in hand Philop. Philotheus speaks so favourly and edifyingly of every subject he is put upon that it is ever pitty to interrupt him But sith he has now desisted of himself if he please at length to enter upon the Subject I first of all propounded it will very much gratifie my desires Hyl. It is therefore now Philopolis very seasonable to propound your Quere's to him Philop. My First Quere V Philopolis his Quere's touching the Kingdome of God O Philotheus was What the Kingdome of God is the Second When it began and where it has been or is now to be found the Third What progress it has hitherto made in the world the Fourth and last What success it is likely to have to the end of all things These are the Quere's Philotheus which I at first propounded concerning which if you please to instruct us plainly and intelligibly though not so accurately and scholastically we shall think our selves eternally obliged to you for your pains Philoth. I shall doe my best I can to serve you herein Philopolis and that as briefly and perspicuously as I can with all plainness of speech and without any affectation of Scholastick Scrupulosities being desirous onely to be understood and to convince And the God of Heaven assist us in this our discourse of his heavenly Kingdome that we may so understand the Mysteries of it as that we may faithfully endeavour the promoting the Interest thereof both in our selves and in all men to the Glory of God and Salvation of the World Amen Philop. Amen I pray God Philoth. VI What the Kingdome of God is in the general Nation thereof with a defence of the truth of the Nation Your first Quere O Philopolis though it be very short yet is exceeding comprehensive and by reason of the multisarious signification of the terms involves much matter in it at once which yet I shall endeavour to comprise and take in as well as I can by this brief Definition of the Kingdome of God in general The Kingdome of God is the Power of God enjoyning exciting commissioning or permitting his creatures to act according to certain Laws which considering all circumstances or upon the compute of the whole are for the best Philop. I partly understand you Philotheus and conceive you intend such a Definition of the Kingdome of God as takes in the Kingdome of Nature also and respects those Laws whereby both the brute Animals are guided and the senseless Plants and dead Meteors and Elements according to the extent of your defence hitherto of Divine Providence running from the highest and most Intellectual Order of things even to those Material Beings which are framed and actuated by the Spirit of Nature or Seminal Soul of the World Sophr. Why that is no more then the Scripture it self will warrant him to doe Philopolis The Psalmist is very frequent in such expressions The Lord has prepared his throne in Heaven Psalm 103.19 21 22 and his Kingdome ruleth over all Bless ye the Lord all his Hosts ye Ministers of his that doe his pleasure Bless the Lord all his works in all places of his dominion Bless the Lord O my Soul This in the 103. Psalm And in the 148. Psalm he makes all the several degrees of the Creation from Heaven to Earth from Angels to Brutes Plants and Meteors the Hosts of God and exhorts them all to praise the name of the Lord For he spake the word and they were made he commanded and they were created he hath made them fast for ever and ever he hath given them a Law which shall not be broken And again in the 119. Psalm O Lord thy word endureth for ever in Heaven thy Truth also remaineth from one generation to another Thou hast laid the foundation of the Earth and it abideth they continue this day according to thy ordinance for all things serve thee Whence it is plain that the Dominion of God and his Kingdome reaches as far as the whole comprehension of the Creation Cuph. Why then in some places O Sophron the Kingdome of God will be coincident with the Kingdome of the Devil Bath Why Cuphophron what greater inconvenience is there in that then that the Kingdome of Nature and the Kingdome of God should be coincident which you seem not to gainsay Cuph. Methinks it sounds very odly and besides we may conceive a subordination betwixt the Kingdome of God and the Kingdome of Nature but the
7. And again Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee in whose heart are thy ways Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a Well and the rain filleth the pools with water They go from strength to strength till every one of them appear before God in Sion By which is intimated that firm Faith and holy desire brings us at last to the fruition of God and his Kingdome To all which I need not adde for a conclusion the perpetuall and constant performance of what-ever we find our selves able and bound in duty to perform For he that has this Faith and sincere desire can never sin against the Power of God and the Dictates of his own Conscience This Philopolis is a brief but faithfull direction for the obtaining that great prize the Kingdome of God within us Philop. And I am infinitely obliged to you Philotheus for your hearty and serious Instructions in so important a Mysterie I hope they will never slip out of my mind Cuph. I am sure his Indoctrinations touching the Centre of the Soul in the Heart stick so fast in mine that I shall never forget them But I beseech you Philotheus what will become of that Centre of the Soul in the other state when we have left our Hearts behind us Philoth. It is much O Cuphophron that your Philosophy should scruple at this unless you be also at a loss what will become of the other Centre of the Soul because we leave our Brains behind us They retain the same offices still the one to joyn us with the Spirit of the World or else with the Spirit of God the other to be our common Percipient Philop. This is a Curiosity which I for my part took no notice of X The externall Kingdome of God properly so called what it is And I pray you Philotheus be no farther engaged in the point but proceed to the externall Kingdome of God and declare to us what it is Philoth. The External Kingdome of God amongst men is much-what the same in a larger acception of the word that the pure and true Church of God is Which is a body of such people as make profession of the onely true God the Maker and Creatour of all things and the Supervisour of all the affairs of the Vniverse a Punisher of offenders and a Rewarder of all those that seek him This profession of one God joyn'd with the pure worship of him devoid of all Idolatry and gross Superstition as also of all Cruelty and Barbarity and of all foul and unclean Customs but on the contrary it being a declared Law amongst them That they ought to love this one and onely true God with all their heart and all their Soul and their neighbour that is all mankinde as themselves and to deal with others as themselves would be dealt withall they in the mean time living in no opposition or defiance to any sufficiently-revealed Law of God This profession I say does constitute any Family Countrey Nation or Kingdome the Church of God or Kingdome of God In which description O Philopolis if you rest satisfied it will be easie according to the sense thereof to answer the first part of your second Quere namely When the Kingdome of God began Philop. I am not so curious as not to rest satisfied in this description XI When this Kingdome of God began O Philotheus and therefore I desire you to proceed to the second Quere Philoth. It is manifest therefore O Philopolis out of this description that the Kingdome of God began as timely as the first Family of the world and was continued in the succession of the Patriarchs before and after the Floud to Moses and through the Mosaick Polity which some in a more peculiar manner contend to be a Theocracy to the coming of Christ. Philop. But what shall we think in the mean time therefore of the ancient Philosophers which had nothing to doe with either the Patriarchs or Moses and yet believed One onely true God the Authour and Governour of the Universe and were singularly good and vertuous in their conversations were they any part of the Kingdome of God Philoth. That the Philosophers had nothing to doe with Moses and that their wisedome derived not it self from that fountain is more then I dare averr But if they were such as you describe for profession and life and communicated not with the Idolatries and pollutions of the Gentiles I should look upon them as very much a-kin to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and dare not debarr them from being certain scattered Appendages to the Kingdome of God Philop. If you think so favourably of them Philotheus for my part I cannot be of so sour and severe a temper as to grudge them that honour In the mean while I am not onely satisfied touching the so timely commencement of the Kingdome of God or the Church but of the succession of it to the coming of Christ which answers to the second part of my second Quere Where it has been to be found since its beginning And truly that God had his Church so timely seems to be intimated by that timely Martyrdome begun in it in the Murther of Abel Matt. 23.35 from whose righteous bloud Christ seems to begin the Martyrology in his commination to that murtherous City the carnal Ierusalem Bath This is notably well observed of Philopolis O Philotheus and puts me in minde of something a dark passage in the Apocalypse which haply may receive light from hence namely Apoc. 13.8 there where it is said That all would worship the Beast whose names are not written in the Book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world that is à mundo condito Which passage I conceive alludes to the murthering of Abel it being so early an example of the wicked martyring the good And therefore by the Lamb is here understood according to the Prophetick style the whole succession of the holy ones or elect of God spotless in life and invincible in their patience no persecution being able to subdue their minds to evil or to make them violate their Consciences For there is no deceiving or overcoming the Elect whose Names are written in the Book of Life which Book is called the Book of the Lamb or of the Elect of God because their names are enrolled there and this Lamb said to be slain from the foundation of the world because the example of the wicked murthering the innocent and just began so early in Cain's murthering of his brother Abel But to understand by the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world the Lamb that was to be slain is so bold an abuse of all Grammar and Logick that I must confess till this consideration came into my minde the Text seemed to me to be of a desperate obscurity unless we should have taken the liberty to understand by this slaying of the Lamb in the ordinary sense that is
Empire in Constantine's time became the Kingdome of God but were no particular members of the Church at that time in any thing reprehensible Whether the Reformation cease to be the Kingdome of God for the wickedness of some of that denomination let our Adversaries be judges who never spared to style themselves Holy Church for all the abhorred ungodliness of the Heads their Holinesses at Rome and universal pollution of the members and that because they took themselves to be the true Christian Church and to hold the right Faith and to retain the Rites and Religious Practices as to the externall Worship of God though they were indeed an Antichristian Church and all overrun with abominable Doctrines and Idolatrous Practices and Diabolical Cruelties against the true Worshippers of God Of how much more right therefore ought the Reformation to be held the holy people of God and his peculiar Kingdome who profess the Apostolick Faith entire without any Idolatrous superadditions who murther no man for his Conscience and make the infallible Word of God it self the Object of their Profession and the platform of their Religion Cuph. The truth is the disparity is infinitely great if the Roman and Reformed Church stood in competition which of them two should be the Kingdome of God Bath But it being so plain that the Reformed Church is the true Externall Kingdome of God forasmuch as they make pure profession of the Gospel of the Kingdome cleared from all the gross Corruptions of men and teach Christ merely according to the Word of Christ and that also in this regard the Church of Rome by their Antichristian Doctrines is really a contrary Kingdome thereunto that is the Kingdome of Antichrist how abominably nauseous O Cuphophron must Indifferency in Religion be amongst Pretenders to Protestantism whenas the Romanists themselves scarce in the worst of times would have laid down their zeal in the behalf of that Christianity against Turcism though Turcism ought not to be more abominable to them then their Antichristianism ought to be to us XVII The Charge of Antinomianism against th Reformation For what can be more contrary then the Kingdome of Christ and of Antichrist Cuph. This would bear more weight with it Bathynous if there were no gross flaws in the externall Profession of the Protestants and that they were right in their declared Opinions For in my judgement Antinomianism and Calvinism I mean that dark Dogma about Predestination are such horrid Errours that they seem the badges of the Kingdome of Darkness rather then of the Kingdome of God Bath What you mean by Antinomianism O Cuphophron I know not But so far as I know there are but these two meanings thereof either a conceit that we are exempted by the liberty of the Gospel from all moral Duties a thing exploded by all the Protestant Churches as you may understand by the Harmony of their Confessions or else it signifies a disclaim of being justified by the doing our Duties and an entire relying on the Satisfaction or Atonement of Christ which rightly understood has no evil at all in it but is an excellent Antidote against Pride For those that profess such an Antinomianism as this and declare they look to be saved by Faith onely without the Works of the Law will not deny but that they are to live as strictly and holily as if they were to be saved by the integrity of their conversations and yet when they have lived as precisely as they can that they are wholly to relie upon the mercy of God in Christ. How lovely how amiable is such a disposition of a Soul as this who taking no notice of her own innocency or righteousness casts her self wholly on the Goodness and Merits of her Saviour and so like an un-self-reflecting and an un-self-valuing childe enters securely and peaceably into the Kingdome of God and into the choicest mansions of his heavenly Paradise Cuph. Nay if that be the worst of it Bathynous I am easily reconciled to Protestantism for all this Bath This is the worst of it O Cuphophron so far as I can understand And you know the orthodox Protestants universally adde their Doctrine of Sanctification or a good life to that of Justification by Faith onely so that I dare say they dealt bonâ fide but by a secret Providence directed so their style and phrase as was most effectual to oppose or undermine the gainful traffick of that City of Merchandises where the good works they ordinarily cry'd up so were nothing else but the good and rich wares those cunning Merchants purchased at cheap rates from abused souls the increase of whose sins were the advance of the Revenues of the Church and their externall good works as they are called an excuse for their want of inward Sanctification and real Regeneration the main things the Protestants stand upon which can be no more without Good works in the best sense so called then the Sun without Light Cuph. But are there then Bathynous no Antinomians in the ill sense amongst the Protestant Bath No otherwise Cuphophron then there were Gnosticks and Carpocratians in the Apostolick times There are but disallowed by general suffrage Cuph. Let that then suffice XVIII The Charge of Calvinism against the Reformation But this dark Opinion of Predestination how dismall does it look Bathynous black as the smoak of the bottomless pit out of which the Locusts came Bath What do you allude to the Turks and Saracens Cuphophron The Turks indeed are held great Fatalists whence some in reproch call this Point of Calvin Calvino-Turcism Who would have thought Cuphophron so Apocalyptical That you take so great offence at Predestination in that rude and crude sense that some hold it I do not at all wonder for it has ever seemed to me an Opinion perfectly repugnant to the nature of God that he should Predestinate any Souls to endless and unspeakable misery for such sins as it was ever impossible for them to avoid This is a great reproch in my apprehension to the Divine Majesty But that there is an effectual Election or Predestination of some to eternall life I must confess I think it not onely an Opinion inoffensive but true which seems to me probably to be intimated from such passages as these Apoc. 13.8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship the Beast whose names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world And again in another place of the Apocalypse And they that are with him are called Apoc. 17.14 and chosen and faithfull And also in the Epistle to the Romans Rom. 8.28 29. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them that are the called according to his purpose For whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate and whom he did predestinate them he also called c. These places considered together want not their force
not poured on the Earth but in a general sense as in the preceding Verse where it is said to all the Angels Go your ways and pour out the Vials of the wrath of God on the Earth and it follows And the first went out and poured out his Vial on the Earth according to the sense of that general command But the Allusion of the Effect of this Vial is to that Egyptian Plague of Boils and Blains Philop. If Earth here be understood but in that general sense it had been needless to repeat it Philoth. The Repetition is very ornamental to the Cortex of the Vision because it bears a correspondence with other Subjects the Vials are said to be poured upon as the Sea the Rivers the Air c. as if God would stir up all the Elements of Nature to fight against the Beast or Antichristian Powers And besides this Exod. 9.8 it was Earth that is to say Ashes of the furnace from whence this Egyptian Plague of Blains and Boils did arise Philop. Well then But what is the Application of this first Vial what answers in Event Philoth. You know Philopolis the pouring out of the first Vial immediately follows the ascension of the Witnesses into Heaven whom you may be sure these marked Slaves of the Beast look'd upon with a very envious eye Apoc. 15.2 and must needs gnash their teeth at the Triumphal Song of those Harpers harping on the brinks of the Sea of Glass mingled with Fire Wherefore the Envy Malice bitter Zeal and mad Rage of the Pontifician Party against the Reformed who were now got into power Politicall both in Church and State Apoc. 16.2 this was that noisome and grievous sore falling upon them from the first Vial this those Boils and Blains from the scattered ashes of the furnace in this Land of Egypt And the concomitants of these were grievous Wars raised against the Witnesses or horrid Persecutions whereever their Adversaries were able to effect it But this rancorous sore sticks more especially and peculiarly on those marked Vassals of the Beast which go under the name of Iesuites whose Order Pope Paul the third confirmed a little after the beginning of the Reformation and whose Authour bears not onely Ashes but Fire in his name an ill Omen portending what Incendiaries his Disciples would prove to Christendome Cuph. Philotheus seems to offer at an allusive jest upon the name of Ignatius Loyola the Founder of the Iesuites It 's much he did not bring in the hot ashes of the furnace here too or touch upon the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as congenerous to this conceit of Fire Philop. Well but go on I pray you Philotheus Philoth. Now when a Kingdome Province or Principality is but of so little standing in the Reformation as that it is but like an Animal fallen into a swoon rather then stone-dead and that the Papal Interest is not so quite extinct but that they in a short time may be recoverable to the obedience of the See of Rome by the mischievous Activity and zealous and imbitter'd Industry of the Pope's Agents and Emissaries or by what-ever means they can raise to reduce them to their former Superstitions and Idolatries that Kingdome State or Principality is under the Influence of the first Vial I mean it is the object of that exulcerated malice and fierce and implacable Activity of those marked Servants of the Beast This plague of unquietness and vexation sticks indeed upon themselves but it is manifest that they will ease their Rage and Virulency upon what-ever part of their adversaries they have any hope to prevail against But if they hold out so long against all the rancorous attempts of the Romish adherents as that the minds of the people are quite off from any inclination or capacity of receiving the Papal Laws again and his Interest has in a manner quite expired no warmth or hopes being left then are they in such a condition as is figured out by the second Vial Apoc. 16.3 the Sea becomes as the bloud of a dead man and the Fishes therewith die in it For according to the Prophetick style Sea signifies the People gathered together into one Polity and the death of the Fishes the disappointment of hope and gain Philop. The Application methinks is very easie and obvious The Pope loses his Fishing in such a Sea as being not permitted to put in S. Peter's Net his Fishing there is destroy'd Cuph. His angling for such Fishes as have money in their mouths Bath And happy those Kingdoms that become so dead and hopeless a Sea unto him for they are in peace But who-ever revives to him any hope of recovery relapses that Kingdome into the state of the first Vial awakens all that rancour and malicious Activity of these marked Slaves of the Beast against it by all imaginable Frauds Impieties and Barbarities to ruine it rather then it should fail to be subjected to the Pope Philop. That 's a weighty consideration of yours I promise you Bathynous Give them but hope and they will straightway turn it into an eager and direfull desire and Diabolicall plotting and machinating whatever mischief they can think may make for the securing or hastening their expected Harvest Philoth. Lastly Philopolis as the Sea signifies a Kingdome State or Principality be it lesser or greater so Rivers signifie any Emmissaries Powers or Agents from any Kingdome or Jurisdiction whether Armies Provincial Magistrates or what-ever other Instruments or Ministers of the State from whence they are sent Now when any State or Kingdome is so strong and establish'd that they continue long and are able in the mean time to doe execution on the bloudy Papal Emissaries whether Military or Sacerdotal that are found to excite the people to Rebellion against their Prince the slaughter of these Enemies is the effect of the third Vial which turns the Rivers into bloud Philop. The condition then of the Reformation in Germany before the Smalcaldick War and of England in Edward the sixth's time before the Reign of Queen Elizabeth seems to be such as is denoted by the first Vial. The fresh Ascension of the Witnesses was the Object of the wrath and envy of the marked Vassals of the Beast according as is intimated in that very Chapter Apoc. 11.18 And the Nations were angry and thy wrath is come c. But in Queen Elizabeth and King Iames his time the condition of the Reformation in England was such as is denoted by the third Vial forasmuch as that great Armada of Eighty eight was stoutly repelled with much slaughter on their side besides severall traitorous Emissaries executed Philoth. This of the third Vial is the opinion of a very judicious Interpreter of the Apocalypse and it is very hard to avoid it though a man would never so fain the Text speaks it so plainly Apoc. 16.5 6. Thou art righteous O Lord which art and wast and shalt be because thou hast judged
The-End of the Fourth Dialogue THE FIFTH DIALOGUE Philotheus Bathynous Sophron Philopolis Euistor Hylobares Cuphophron Ocymo Cuph. FOR all your hast I The entrance into the Dialogue Ocymo spread the Carpet on the Table before you goe hence So 't is well If any enquire for me at the house be sure to tell them I am gone out Ocym. I shall observe your command Sir Cuph. We 'll not be interrupted all this afternoon if an harmless Equivocation will help it Hyl. You went out of your house when you came into your Garden O what a marvellous Mercurial Wit is Cuphophron Cuph. It is the gift of Nature Hylobares to them that know how to make a right use of it What 's a clock now Philopolis by your Watch that we may see what a fair share of time we have before us Philop. It is turned of one We have dined in very good time Cuph. But both you and Philotheus ate so sparingly as if either you did not like the Provision or thought your After-dinner's discourse would as well fat the Body as feed the Soul Philop. Your entertainment Cuphophron was very noble and inviting but I must confess my mind was much carried out to the After-delicacies I expected from Philotheus Cuph. And I pray you Philopolis defer not to satisfie your Appetite in that point I know Philotheus is ready for you Philoth. I am alwaies ready to serve Philopolis and the rest of this excellent Company in any thing that lies in my power Philop. II Philopolis his last Quere touching the Success of the Kingdome of God till the end of all things Without any farther Preamble therefore I pray you Philotheus let us fall upon the last Quere I would have propounded yesternight namely What Success the Kingdome of God is likely to have to the end of all things Philoth. The Success of Christ's Kingdome Philopolis will be marvellous both in respect of its farther Victories against the Kingdome of Antichrist whose power will be utterly destroy'd and also in respect of it self For undoubtedly it will be in a more glorious condition both for Quality and Extent then it was ever yet since the Apostles times Philop. What you say touching the destruction of the Kingdome of Antichrist I am abundantly satisfied therein both from the consuming of the little Horn by fire in Daniel Dan. 7.11 and also in that it is said in the Apocalypse Apoc. 19.20 that the Beast and the false Prophet were taken Apoc. 16.19 and were both cast alive into the lake of fire and brimstone and lastly the Effect of the seventh Vial seems to imply so much Philoth. To which you may add the Vision of the Winepress troden without the City Apoc. 14.20 out of which a vast Lake of bloud issued so deep as up to the horse-bridles and so large as that it reached to the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs Cuph. Iesu God! What a kind of Victory over Antichrist is this O Philotheus I did not think there had been such a bloudy Prophecy in all the Apocalypse Shall Christ enlarge his Kingdom by making all the World swim in bloud Philoth. Be of good courage Cuphophron and look not so pale and affrightfully on it You are scar'd but as Children with a dreadfull Picture This is but a Prophetick Iconism as the putting the Beast and the false Prophet into a Lake of fire and that alive Can their dead bodies swim in bloud and they be cast alive into a Lake of fire and brimstone at once This lake of bloud and lake of fire signifie the same thing but are neither of them the thing which they signifie Philop. Cuphophron's colour comes to him again Philotheus so that you need enter no farther into that Subject before you orderly come at it For I am not content onely to know that the Kingdome of Antichrist will be utterly destroy'd but very desirous at least as far as the remaining Vials wil afford light to understand the gradual process thereof For surely that is couched in the Vision of the Vials Philoth. I doubt not but it is But it is a very great hazard and difficulty to attempt the particular Explication of Prophecies before they be fulfilled For there is a strange unsettled Vibration of the Propheticall expressions that in this tremulous motion seem to touch upon many things but it is very hard to know where they will fix till the Event determines But how-ever I shall with God's assistence endeavour to satisfie your desire as near as I can and in such order as you shall demand Philop. I humbly thank you III The Interpretation of the fourth Vial. Philotheus I shall demand according to the Order of the Vials And therefore I desire you in the first place to instruct me in the meaning of the fourth Vial poured out upon the Sun Apoc. 16.8 whence power was given him to scorch men with fire insomuch that they blasphemed God for the very pain of their burning Philoth. You must understand Philopolis which I tell you at first for all that the Prophetick Iconisms may by an Henopoeia of the second kind as a modern Writer teaches us sometimes comprehend more significata then one Synopsis Prophet lib. 1. c. 3. sect 8. and that intendedly though before the Event whether onely one or more be intended is not to be defined But if but any one be accomplished it is enough And therefore it is the safest pitching upon what is most within our ken It was said of the Church before she fled into the Wilderness that she was clothed with the Sun Apoc. 12.1 as well as had the Moon under her feet Now the Moon is the Law of Moses comprised in the Pentateuch which consists of dark Types and Figures but all the Light it has it borrows from Christ and his Gospel The Truth comprised in the New Testament reflecting on the Mosaicall Law makes it shine like the Moon with this borrowed Light It was rightly therefore said of these two opposite Luminaries that while the one viz. the Sun shone round about the Woman and she was cloathed with the glorious Light and the Truth of the Gospel that the Moon was then as it were with the Antipodes under her feet as he saith of the two Poles Hic vertex nobis semper sublimis at illum Sub pedibus Nox atra videt Manésque profundi Philop. This is something high and Poeticall Philotheus But that which you would have I suppose is this namely That as the Moon and Sun in the Vision of the Woman according to an intimation of Hugo Grotius may signifie the Law of Moses and the Law of Christ so the Sun here may also signifie the Law of Christ comprehended in the New Testament or rather more at large the Word of God which we call the Bible comprising the New Testament and the Old so far forth as it respects Christ and the Old is
ratified by the New Is this the body of the Sun you mean Philoth. Some such thing I drive at you understand me very well Now I say the pouring out the Vial upon this Sun is the enlightning it with clear and convictive Expositions by Holy men assisted by the Spirit of God or rather the removing the clouds of Obscurity from before it that it may shine in its full strength to discover plainly the unrighteous mysteries of the Kingdome of Antichrist and shew to all the World in what a foul and horrid condition they are how apostatized from God and Christ and how plainly and reprochfully their abominable doings are characterized by the finger of God in the Scripture and how lively their most direfull and diabolicall Image is there described This is the pouring out the Vial upon the Sun whereby power is given him to scorch men with fire and so vex them that they blaspheme the Name of God by reason of these Plagues and rather vilifie and reproch the Scriptures and the Spirit that writ them then repent them of their sins and give glory to God by acknowledging the Truth This I conceive may be one sense of the fourth Vial. Philop. But this is a more Mystical or Spiritual sense Is there not also Philotheus a Politicall one Philoth. Yes there is Philopolis and it is a very obvious one For nothing is more confessed then that in the Prophetick style the Sun signifies the greatest person in the Politicall Universe as he is the most glorious Luminarie in the Natural Now who do you think is the greatest person in the World the Pope rules in Philop. He and the Pope has disputed it a great while and I think it is hard to say whether is at this very day Philoth. Wherefore the next Vial seeming more peculiarly to concern the Pope this is likely to appertain to the Emperour Philop. What therefore do you think the pouring of the fourth Vial upon the Sun to signifie in this Politicall sense Philoth. I hope it signifies the Conversion of some Emperour illuminated with the true knowledge of the Gospel For thus the general Reformation which he will introduce in his Empire through the Light and Zeal he has conceived for the Truth will scorch and burn and vex the Vassals of the two-horned Beast to the very heart This is a sense natural enough I think but whether it or the former be more natural I leave to you to judge Philop. There is abundant Concinnity in them both Nor do I think it is at all necessary that that Subject on which the Vial is said to be poured should always suffer Mischief but that at least Mischief should be thence reflected upon the Beast But is there no other possible sense of the fourth Vial Philotheus Philoth. There may be an * See Synops Prophet lib. 1. cap. 3. sect 3. Henopoeia adjoyn'd to this Iconism of the Sun so that it may signifie as it does Isay 24. at the last verse But then the Signification will be very congenerous to the later of the foregoing senses the meaning being also Politicall Philop. That intimation sufficeth For I understand thereby the taking in of more Kingdoms or Principalities into the Light of the Gospel distinct from those that appeared on the behalf thereof at the rising of the Witnesses I know not but this may be a right meaning as well as any of the other and a farther preparation to the times of that Vision of the Rider of the white Horse Apoc. 19.12 on whose Head it is said there were many Crowns I pray you Philotheus proceed and tell us the meaning of the fifth Vial poured on the throne of the Beast Apoc. 16.10 whereby his Kingdome became dark Philoth. The throne of the two-horned Beast is the same with the Throne of the Whore who is said to sit on the seven Hills IV The Interpretation of the fifth and sixth Vials Wherefore this in a Politicall sense seems to boad ill to the City of Rome which is the Seat of the Beast But whether it be the sacking of Rome and banishing the Pope from thence for ever or whether from the Effects of the former Vial Politically understood the Trading and Revenues of that greatest Merchant of the great men of the earth will grow very low and slender and so a great deadness and obscurity and darkness seise even his principal Seat or what other thing it may be analogous to this time must determine I cannot Philop. But is this the onely sense Philotheus of this Vial Philoth. It is that which I suppose is most to your tooth Philopolis But sometimes another occurrs to my minde What if we should conceive the Pope's Chair here perstringed by this Throne of the Beast I mean that Chair of Infallibility that he and his Pseudoprophetick Body boast they sit in and so dictate infallible Oracles to the world for their own Profit and Interest facing down the people whatsoever they finde gainfull to the Church that it is really true be it a Figment never so foolish or incredible never so blasphemous or impossible but it cannot seem so to the people while they take the Church to be infallible Now I say as the present Vial in the Politicall sense may be in some kinde a consequent of the former politically understood so the Efficacy of the former more spiritually understood may introduce in time the Effect of this present Vial in the more Spiritual meaning also and the pouring thereof on the Throne of the Beast may be the abolishing of that false Opinion of the Pope's and his Churche's Infallibility out of the generality of mens mindes which false Light once removed they must needs finde themselves much in the dark their Religion being such as neither Scripture Reason nor any thing else that has any Autority with it can afford any light to or the least colour for wherefore his Kingdome must needs be overwhelmed with more then Egyptian darkness and the Sticklers for the Papacy seeing so general a dissatisfaction in the people and that they through the penetrancy of the Light of the Gospel have lost this great hold on them it will make them gnaw their tongues for very anguish and pain Philop. Nay I know not but this may be one sense too But I pray you Philotheus proceed to the sixth Vial. Philoth. The sixth Vial Philopolis seems to touch upon the Conversion of the Iews Mr. Mede Comment Apocalypt ad cap. 16. as that late excellent Interpreter has with great judgement and credibility made the discovery And the comparing of the Vision of the treading of the Wine-press without the City Apoc. 14.18 and the Battel and Victory of that illustrious Heros riding on the white Horse Apoc. 19.11 with the last Vial does as he also suggests make much for the probability of this Exposition For that there is an Identity or Coincidency of Events signified by the treading
meaning therefore of those Philoth. These are parallel to the Description of that Heros on the white Horse Apoc. 19.12 15 13. whose eyes are said to be as a flame of fire and a sharp sword to come out of his mouth and whose Name is also The word of God These Voices therefore and Thunderings and Lightnings are the Divulgations of the Law of Christ with an allusion to that terrible way of the Promulgation of the Law of Moses on Mount Sinai that is of the Gospel of Christ in the power of the Spirit which is resembled to fire By these I say is set out an extraordinary efficacious preaching of the Word in the power and demonstration of the Spirit under this last Vial. Analogous to which is that Vision in Esdras 2 Esdr. 13.10 of the Man who sent out of his mouth as it were a blast of fire and out of his lips a flaming breath and out of his tongue he cast out sparks and tempests which is there expresly interpreted of the Law of the Son of God 2 Esdr. 13.38 which is like unto fire Now this Thundering and Lightning is accompanied with a mighty Earthquake as it is said of mount Sinai at the thundring out of the Law that the whole Mount quaked greatly Exod. 19.18 and again in the Psalms Psalm 77.17 18. The air thundred and thine arrows went abroad the voice of thy Thunder was heard round about the Lightnings shone upon the ground the Earth was moved and shook withall Philop. Well but what in the mean time Philotheus becomes of that pitch'd Battel that those impure spirits the Frogs called the whole World to in the field of Armageddon For there is neither Fight nor Victory mentioned as if the Vision were left imperfect Philoth. Their Success is intimated in the signification of the word Armageddon as I told you before And the Vision is completely continued though under a new representation For you are to take special notice how this large pitch'd Camp the Symbols naturally leading to it is by a Commutation of Iconisms on a sudden turned into a mighty great City which signifies still but the same thing that is to say the Comprehension of those three Parties I numbered up to you before But this Tripartition is more plainly and elegantly declared in the Cortex of the Prophecy upon the mention of the Earthquake as if it were an Effect of it Apoc. 16.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philop. The Elegancy indeed is very admirable Philotheus very pleasing and harmonious Philoth. Nor is there any harshness in resembling that great Conflux of people in Armageddon to one great City because the Kings of the Earth and of the whole World are said to be gathered together there in that Symbol of a Camp which being turned into the Iconism of a City that City must needs be said to be a great one for it is in a manner the City of the whole World Matt. 4.8 in such a sense as all the Kingdoms of the world were said to be shewn to our Saviour which therefore must needs be the Comprehension of a world of Cities though the whole World be but as one great City Philo Jud. lib. de Ioseph as Philo speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And though every Kingdome of it self be a Sea yet the Comprehension of abundance of Kingdoms together is in the Prophetick style termed one great Sea as it is in Daniel 7. where the four winds of Heaven are said to strive on the great Sea Wherefore as the great Sea consists of a great many Seas so in like Analogie may one conceive this great City in the inward sense to consist of a great many Cities and these great many Cities which is the thing I drive at to be divided into three parts or parties the Cities of the Infidels conceited Deists and mere Moralists the Cities of the true Christians and the Antichristian Cities viz. Babylon with her daughters Philop. Well I confess Philotheus this is not unnatural But what execution in the mean time is there done in that Battel of the great day of God Almighty Philoth. The Cities of the Nations fell that is to say the Cities of the Gentiles Infidels or Unbelievers Philop. I suppose by the edge of the sword Philotheus Philoth. By the edge of that sword that comes out of the mouth of the Rider of the white Horse I mean by the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God Or rather to keep to the present Vision they fell being Thunder-struck by the powerfull Boanergesses of the Gospel under the last Vial they were convinced and subdued and brought under the Sceptre of Christ and were adjoyned to his Kingdome Philop. Very good news I pray God it may so come to pass But Babylon it seems stands it out Philoth. Did not our Saviour of old tell the chief Priests and Elders that the Publicans and Harlots would goe into the Kingdome of God before them Matt. 21.31 But Babylon stands it out to her utter ruine and destruction She is forced to drink of the wine of the fierceness of God's wrath Apoc. 16.19 20. and every Island flies away she shall not be possess'd of any of her Churches or consecrated places and the Mountains are not found all her Ecclesiasticall Honours and Dignities shall vanish For great showrs of Hail out of Heaven shall fall upon her Ver. 21. every stone about the weight of a Talent that all her goodly Trees will be spoiled and stripp'd of their both leaves and fruit their boughs broken down and their stocks beaten bare even to the inmost bark Apoc. 18.6 7 8. Then shall it be doubled unto her double according to her works and how much she hath glorified herself and lived deliciously so much torment and sorrow will be given her For strong is the Lord God that judgeth her Philop. But will not all this misery reclaim her Philotheus Philoth. Ask Solomon that question Philopolis and he will tell you roundly Though thou shouldst bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestill Prov. 27.22 yet will not his foolishness depart from him A considerable part of her may be thus obstinate for ever These are the fools that will be found to walk naked and all will see their shame which if themselves could see as well as others they would be converted But being struck with superstitious Blindness in stead of acknowledging the Truth and giving glory to God it is said Apoc. 16.21 they blaspheme God because of the plague of the Hail for the plague thereof was exceeding great Philop. So far then as I see Philotheus neither the Vision of the Rider of the white Horse where the Beast and the false Prophet are said to be cast alive into the Lake of fire nor this last Vial nor the Vision of the Wine-press signifie the destruction of the Persons of the Antichristian Kingdome but
onely the abolishing of their Power and the despoiling them of their Honours and Dignities and of their Emoluments thereon depending Philoth. What Wars in this great Earthquake there may be whereby the great City is said to be divided into three parts according to the intimation of the externall letter I know not But that is a thing the Spirit of God least intimates in the Apocalyptick Visions Nor does that phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 necessarily imply a diruption of the City into three parts but may onely signifie that the parts of the City were three That mighty Earthquake at the opening of the sixth Seal denoted onely the downfall of the Pagan Religion Apoc. 6.12 Nor may this at the pouring out of the last Vial though it be said to be an Earthquake greater then ever any before it signifie any thing more then the utter demolishing the Babylonish Power and Superstition that it may rule no-where any longer Nay the bloudy Vision of the Wine-press signifies no more then so though it glance at Babylon by reason of the number of the furlongs which are applicable to Stato della Chiesa as Mr. Mede observes Comment Apocalypt ad cap. 14. The extinguishing the Pope's Power there rather then the slaughtering of his Armies is signified thereby Philop. But that number is as well appliable to the Holy Land as the same Writer observes Philoth. Be it so Philopolis then may the Vision bear two faces the one respecting the Roman Church the other the people of the Iews the first affording a sense Politicall as I have already hinted the other a sense more Mysticall Philop. As what I beseech you Philotheus Philoth. It signifies the power of the Passion of Christ on the converted Iews to the mortifying all sin and wickedness in them and to the making of their Conversion and Repentance have its perfect work to the utter subduing of the mysticall Edom in them and the letting out his bloud plentifully according to that Prophecy in Zacharie Zach. 12.10 11. And it shall come to pass in that day that I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and supplication and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his onely son and shall be in bitterness for him as one is in bitterness for his first-born In that day shall there be a great mourning as the mourning of Hadad-rimmon in the valley of Megiddon Philop. For ought I know Philotheus these Mysticall senses may be also meant for they plainly have their usefulness Euist. And this Application of that passage in Zacharie will gain the more credibility if we could with Capellus and other Criticks allow Armageddon to be the same place that Megiddon there mentioned Philop. Let the Criticks decide that controversie Euistor In the mean time I am hugely solicitous if there be no considerable personal destruction of the Antichristian party what will become of them after the last Vial. Philoth. Their condition will be much-what such as the dispersed Iews was after their denying the Messiah at his first coming So upon this second coming of Christ an obstinate and confirmed Ignorance will fall upon this people of Babylon after their place is taken from them and their Nation dispersed they will live in resolved Errour Superstition and Wickedness they will be so strucken with Blindness that they will not be able to find entrance into the Holy City But that will be fulfilled upon them then as well as on the rest that stand out in the most ample and distinct sense Apoc. 22.15 Without are Dogs and Sorcerers and Whoremongers and Murtherers and Idolaters and whatsoever loveth and maketh a Lie Cuph. I perceive by this upshot of things that the Apocalypse is not so bloudy and boisterous a Book as I have heard some to represent it to be but that there is a Genius in it more kinde and humane not exhorting to spill bloud in way of Revenge merely though I confess the Antichristian Party has been as savagely bloudy as the Red Dragon himself the old Roman persecutive Paganism but simply by way of Defense as I understood in the third Vial. Methinks it is so harmless a Writing and so full of marvellous pretty phancies like Platonism and unexpected reflexions of one thing upon another that it would invite any one to endeavour to understand the meaning of it for the mere pleasure sake Sophr. I hope then Cuphophron that your self will bend your studies that way in due time Cuph. After I have read over Des Cartes his Principia his Dioptricks Method and Meteors once or twice more much may be Sophron. Sophr. Why that will not take you so long a time Cuph. It may be not But I must also run over all his Volumes of Epistles first and likewise the delicious Dialogues of Plato and be fully Master of his Timaeus but of his Parmenides especially that 's a notable Metaphysicall piece O Sophron and then it 's likely at spare hours I may see what S t. Iohn the beloved Disciple of Iesus saies in his Apocalypse This will take up some time Philop. But I have a more eager appetite after these Mysteries O Cuphophron and therefore must rudely interpose and desire Philotheus to proceed that we may lose no time in our present affair I am very well satisfied Philotheus with your Exposition of the seven Vials and though I think it very hard for any mortal eye by virtue of these Visions to see the futurity of things in their perfect Circumstances without all mistake or defect yet methinks what you say hangs so handsomely together that this instruction may at least convey as much truth as Anatomicall Pictures do to him that has not with his own eyes seen an Anatomy Philoth. I hope so Philopolis Philop. VI The future Glory of the Church after the utter Destruction of Babylon Wherefore since we are got so successfully thus far I pray you Philotheus let us go on to the other part The glorious state of the Kingdome of Christ after the utter Destruction of Babylon For first I would have you to describe this glorious state wherein it consists then declare the Grounds of your belief why you think any such thing will be thirdly What Signs or Forerunners there will be of this glorious appearance fourthly Whether there be any Means that the present Kingdome of Christ may make use of for the accelerating this excellent state of the Church and what they are fifthly and lastly How long this happy state will be and what the condition of the Church to the close of the World Philoth. These are very great Questions Philopolis but I shall endeavour to give you what satisfaction I can But being so many as I did aforehand divine time you know will not permit me to be over-copious otherwise it were easie to draw a very large
description of this future state of the Church from innumerable passages of the Holy Scripture What can be a more glorious or desirable state of the Church of Christ then that described by Isay ch 11. v. 4 c where speaking of Christ's Reign With righteousness saith he shall he judge the poor and reprove with equity for the meek of the Earth and he shall smite the Earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins and faithfulness the girdle of his reins The Wolf also shall dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard shall lie down with the Kid and the Calf and the young Lion and the Fatling together and a little Childe shall lead them The sucking Childe shall play on the hole of the Asp and the weaned Childe put his hand on the Cockatrice den They shall not hurt nor destroy on all my holy Mountain For the Earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea Philop. This is an excellent state of the Church indeed Philotheus Sophr. Psal. 87.3 Glorious things are spoken of thee O thou City of God Philoth. Isa. 2.2 c. Again chap. 2. And it shall come to passe in the last days that the Mountain of the Lord's House shall be established on the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the Hills and all Nations shall flow unto it And many people shall go and say Come ye and let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord to the House of the God of Iacob and he will teach us of his ways and we will walk in his paths For out of Sion shall go forth the Law and the Word of the Lord from Ierusalem And he shall judge amongst the Nations and rebuke many people and they shall beat their swords into plough-shares and their spears into pruning-hooks Nation shall not lift up sword against Nation neither shall they learn war any more O house of Iacob will the Nations say come ye and let us walk in the light of the Lord. Sophr. Like that concerning the new Ierusalem in the Apocalypse And the Nations of them that are saved shall walk in the light of it Apoc. 21.24 and the Kings of the Earth do bring their glory unto it Philoth. But that of the Apocalypse seems more expresly to allude to that of the 60 th of Isay Ver. 1 c. Arise O Sion shine for thy light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee For behold the darkness shall cover the Earth and gross darkness the people but the Lord shall arise upon thee and his glory shall be seen upon thee And the Gentiles shall come to thy light and Kings to the brightness of thy rising And at the latter end of that Chapter The Sun shall be no more thy light by day Ver. 19 21 22. neither for brightness shall the Moon give light unto thee but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light and thy God thy glory Thy people also shall be all righteous they shall inherit the Land for ever the Branch of my planting the work of my hands that I may be glorified A little one shall become a thousand and a small one a strong Nation I the Lord will hasten it in its time Sophr. I believe to this time also may belong that of Isay 30. Isa. 30.26 Moreover the light of the Moon shall be as the light of the Sun and the light of the Sun shall be sevenfold as the light of seven days in the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people and healeth the stroke of their wound As also that of Zacharie Zach. 12.8 In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Ierusalem and he that is feeble amongst them at that day shall be as David and the house of David shall be as God as the Angel of the Lord before them Euist. The Hebrew has it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where Drusius renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sicut Dii understanding thereby Angels Bath John 1.11 As it is said in S t. Iohn that to as many as believed on him he gave power to become the sons of God And our Saviour Matt. 11.11 though he declared that among them that were born of women there had not risen a greater then Iohn the Baptist yet notwithstanding saith he he that is least in the Kingdome of Heaven is greater then he Philoth. That is a shrewd Note of Bathynous his upon the Testimonie of our Saviour touching Iohn and such as should urge a man to search deep into his own Conscience as well as it will instruct him how little hitherto there has been of the Kingdome of God in the World But in the mean time Philopolis I think it is pretty plain already what in the general the state of the Church will be in those glorious Times we speak of viz. That there will be spiritual Strength and Righteousness and Peace and Ioy and Security from Wars within the Church and from any Persecution of God's people This for the Quality of the Church VII The Extent thereof But for its Extent it is insinuated that it will be exceeding large as if it would spread over the face of the whole Earth Isa. 11.9 For it is said The Earth shall be full of the Knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea and that is far and wide And again that the Mountain of the Lord's House shall be established on the top of the mountains Chap. 2.2 and that all Nations shall flow unto it Also in that expression A little one shall become a thousand Chap. 60.22 and a small one a strong Nation c. To which you may adde what is foretold by Daniel chap. 2.32 And the Stone that smote the Image became a great Mountain and filled the whole Earth And again chap. 7.26 But the Iudgement shall sit and they shall take away his dominion to consume and destroy it to the end And the Kingdome and Dominion and the greatness 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 Accordingly as those voices in Heaven do declare upon the sounding of the seventh Trumpet Apoc. 11.15 The Kingdoms of the World are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever Philop. These things Philotheus in the general are very plain and clear But are there not more particular Prefigurations in the Prophetical Writings touching the state of the Church you now discourse of Will the one and twentieth Chapter of the Apocalypse afford no more Particularities then thus Philoth. Probably it may VIII A more particular description of the
faces with twain to cover their feet and with twain to flie Which implies a reverence of the Divine Majesty an activity and readiness in his Service and a carefulness over our Affections that we walk in clean paths For upon the mention of the six wings all the four Beasts are said to be full of eyes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Grotius well and skilfully draws those two together without and within And therefore they with one eye regarding the outward Objects and with another eye their own Nature and so comparing them together they will ever behave themselves decorously and becomingly with due reverence to what is above them in Dignity and Excellency and at a due distance from those things that are unworthy of them and beneath them They will not commit any thing unworthy of the excellencie of their own nature nor admit of any thing repugnant to the innate Light and immutable Principles of an Intellectual Creature And therefore if any such thing be offered them without their eyes within will easily discern the Proposer to be either a Fool or an Impostour Thirdly As the Sea of glass like unto crystall signifies our being baptized into one holy Community so the Lightnings and Thunders and Voices over this collected Body of the Church the four Beasts and the twenty four Elders signifie their joint-Instruction and Guidance by the fiery Law of the Spirit in which Dispensation they live According to that promise of the second Covenant Jer. 31.33 I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my people This is the City which Ezekiel calls Iehovah shammah Ezek. 48.35 not for any visible symbolicall Residence of God there but for the abode of him in the hearts of men by his Spirit by which they have one common mind and one motion as it is in the Angelicall Kingdome in the Cherubims of Ezekiel Ezek. 1.11 12. Their wings touched one another and whither the Spirit was to goe thither they went And the twenty four Elders and the four Beasts be thus of one spirit For when the Beasts worship God Apoc. 4.9 10. the twenty four Elders also cast down their Crowns before the Throne acknowledging from whom and for whom they reign even for the manifesting of the glory and honour and power of God in the Kingdome of his Saints Cuph. But I pray you Philotheus how can the Beasts be said never to rest day nor night Ver. 8. saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty and yet the twenty four Elders as oft as they doe thus to cast their Crowns before the Throne For one casting would serve for all and their Crowns would ever lie before the Throne of their own heads Philoth. These things O Cuphophron are by no means to be so grossly understood For their never ceasing day nor night from saying Holy Holy Holy signifies nothing else but a perpetuall declaring the Holiness of God in whose presence they walk by the constant purity and holiness of their own Conversations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And as there is this one continued tenour of Holiness in the people so likewise is there one continued correspondency of humble Devoutness in their Rulers who live in a perpetual sense of their Office and Duty casting down their Crowns before the Throne of God acknowledging thereby that the measure of their Rule and Government ought not to be their own Interest but merely the Interest of Christ and his Kingdome that they reign wholly through him and for him and therefore are not to seek themselves This is the inward meaning of that externall Representation of their worship which reaches the inmost life and spirit and is not a shadow of a shadow Philop. This is a sufficient solution of Cuphophron's Quere Philotheus But I pray you why are those crowned Elders being that they wear golden Crowns like Kings said to be clothed in white like Priests Apoc. 4.4 and why placed next to the Throne of God and why four and twenty Philoth. By their golden Crowns and white Raiment joyntly considered it is signified that in their respective Kingdoms all power is in them as well Sacerdotal as Secular that is to say In all causes as well Ecclesiasticall as Civil they next to Christ are supreme Heads in their own Principalities And therefore their Thrones for so they are called in the Original are placed next to the Throne of God That is also a farther Intimation of their Sacerdotality in that they are thus placed about the Throne it seeming to allude to the Levites pitching their Tents about the Tabernacle Num. 1.50 But in that they wear white Raiment it signifies also their Innocency Uprightness and Sanctity their Sacerdotal Piety and Devotion in their solicitous Addresses to the Throne of Grace in the behalf of themselves as Rulers and of the people committed to their charge And lastly they are said to be four and twenty 1 Chron. 24.4 18. it 's likely in some allusion to the distribution of the Courses of the Priests and Levites into that number which again shews the Sovereignty of these Kings in Sacerdotal affairs as if they were the Princes of these Divisions But I must confess I think that which is mainly aimed at is this viz. An intimation that this glorious state of the Church will be then when Iews and Gentiles are become one Sheepfold That this is the state of the new Ierusalem Apoc. 21.12 14. that has the names of the twelve Patriarchs inscribed on her as well as of the twelve Apostles This I conceive may be the account of the four and twenty Elders For I doubt not but the number here signifies Symbolically not Numerically Philop. This Interpretation indeed seems to be of more importance it implying both the Conversion of the Iews and the Apostolicalness of these Times of the Church at once Well Philotheus you have described out of the Prophets an excellent state of things which being so eminent that it transcends the power of speech nor can be set out according to its due worth by all the words and phrases I am master of I will be content to contract it for my memory sake into as few as I can which briefly are these Apostolicalness of Doctrine and Worship Integrity of Life and Security from Persecution for Conscience sake and from intestine Wars and Troubles For thus it will truely become the Kingdome of the * Dan. 7.13 Son of man whenas the four Kingdoms hitherto have been justly compared to four ravening and devouring Beasts 2 Esdr. 13.10 11 12. and such as have been so mad as to tear their own flesh But this Angelicall Kingdome as you call it wherein God's will is done on Earth as it is in Heaven is a Kingdome of Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost O how am I transported with the view of so glorious a
a wonder to me if men acting and living thus Apostolically as you describe can be in the state of Damnation Philop. Wherefore we see plainly that there is no Inconvenience to the Reformed Churches in declaring the Roman Church to be the Kingdome of Antichrist accordingly as our first Reformers generally held but every way an unspeakable Advantage as any one may easily discern that will consider And therefore we being clear in this point I pray you proceed to the next Philotheus Philoth. The next Document as you call it Philopolis is this That seeing we are so well assured that the Papacy is the Kingdome of Antichrist or that City of Babylon wherein the People of God were held captive we should leave no string nor tassel of our ancient Captivity upon us such I mean as whereby they may take hold on us and pull us back again into our former Bondage but look upon our selves as absolutely free from any tie to them more then in endeavouring their Conversion and Salvation Which we knowing so experimentally not to be compassed by needless Symbolizings with them in any thing I conceive our best policy is studiously to imitate them in nothing but for all indifferent things to think rather the worse of them for their using them As no person of honour would willingly goe in the known garb of any leud and infamous persons Whatsoever we court them in they do but turn it to our scorn and contempt and are the more hardened in their own wickedness Wherefore seeing that needless Symbolizing with them does them no good but hurt we should account our selves in all things indifferent perfectly free to please and satisfie in the most universal manner we can those of our own Party not caring what Opinions or Customes or outward Formalities the Romanists and others have or may have had from the first Degeneracy of the Church Which we ought to account the more hideously soiled for the Romanists using of them but supporting our selves upon plain Scripture and solid Reason to use and profess such things as will be most universally agreeable to us all and make most for the safety and welfare of the true Kingdome of Christ. For this undoubtedly O Philopolis is the most firm and solid Interest of any Protestant Church or State whatsoever Philop. I am fully of your minde Philotheus and this freedome is no more I think then the Protestant Churches generally profess and particularly the Church of England in the Book of Articles and in the Homilies Artic. 20 34. In the Homily of Fasting But would you not have them to keep pretty strictly to a Conformity to those Ages of the Church which are called symmetrall and the people in the mean time to yield a peaceable obedience to such Institutes as are not altogether of so antique a character provided they be indifferent during the pleasure of their Superiours Philoth. I am very really and cordially for that peaceable Compliance O Philopolis and must also acknowledge that there is a special Reverence due to those Ages you speak of But you must remember that the holy Oracles have predicted and promised us better Times then those I mean then some of them especially Those were the times of the measure of the Reed these we expect of the golden Reed Things in their own nature immutable are indispensable but things indifferent are mutable And Opinion is ranged amongst those mutable things But Faith is as the Rock of Ages What is commensurable to the golden Reed must not be cast out but what is combustible will perish by the Word and by the Spirit which is Fire Philop. XXVIII Of the Use of the Word and of the Spirit in counterdistinction to dry Reason The first Reformers talked much of the Word and of the Spirit but this present Age are great Challengers into the field of Reason to duell it there And their Adversaries seem to like the way of Combate What is the matter with them Philotheus Philoth. That is not Philopolis because they can think their Cause more rational then ours but because the vulgar are commonly bad judges of such Combates and as ill users of that weapon They cannot so easily defend themselves therewith against the Sophisters of the Kingdome of Darkness nor well tell upon this account when these Sophisters are overcome by others unless they would confess themselves vanquish'd when they really are so which their Policy and Haughtiness will never permit them to doe Insomuch as there is never any end of such Contests And therefore though such Combates may doe well enough among the Learned yet I think it for the Interest of the Kingdome of Christ by no means to let go the use of those weapons our first Reformers found so available in the Recovery of it The Fourth Principle Let no man quit the assurance of the Spirit and of the Word taking refuge in dry Reason for the maintaining the truth of his Religion And this shall be the Fourth Document Philop. The Word both sides are agreed upon But why do you bring the judgement of the Spirit in stead of the exercise of our Reason upon the Scripture Philoth. I do not exclude the exercise of Reason but of dry Reason unassisted by the Spirit Philop. What then do you mean by the Spirit Philotheus For this seems to open a gap to all Wildness and Fanaticism Philoth. As you may understand it Philopolis it may But as I understand it it is the onely way I know to Sobriety For I understand by the Spirit not a blind unaccountable Impression or Impulse a Lift or an Huff of an heated Brain but the Spirit of Life in the new Birth which is a discerning Spirit and makes a man of a quick understanding in the fear of the Lord. Isa. 11.2 3. This is the anointing of our Head and true High-priest the Lord Iesus in the first place in a supereminent manner but flows down to the very meanest and lowest of his Members In the guidance of this Spirit a man shall either immediately feel and smell out by an holy Sagacity what is right and true and what false and perverse or at least he shall use his Reason aright to discover it Philop. XXIX How a man shall know that he has the Spirit Such a Spirit as this indeed Philotheus is no Fanatick spirit but a sure Guide in all things But how shall a man know that he has this Spirit Philoth. John 3.6 By the fruits of it That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit He that is born of God sinneth not 1 John 3.9 because his seed that is the Spirit remaineth in him If we have cast off the deeds of the flesh mortifying them through the Spirit it is a sign the Spirit of Christ dwelleth in us Now the works of the flesh are manifest Gal. 5.19 c. such as are
Adultery Fornication Vncleanness Lasciviousness Idolatrie Witchcraft Hatred Variance Emulations Strife Sedition Heresies Envyings Murthers Drunkenness Revellings To which you may adde Pride Insultation Contempt of our brother Cruelty Fraud Imposture Perfidiousness Worldly-mindedness Extortion Covetousness and the like Gal. 5.22 23. But the fruit of the Spirit saith the Apostle is Love Ioy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance against such there is no Law This is that Spiritual man that discerneth every man 1 Cor. 2.15 but is himself discerned by none unless he be spiritual Of this Spirit of life it is said 1 John 5.12 He that has the Son has life but he that has not the Son has not life Rom. 8.9 As also He that has not the Spirit of Christ is none of his But of him that has the Son in this true sense namely by the abode of his Spirit in him John 8.36 it is farther declared That if the Son make you free then are you free indeed It is not therefore into an Huff of Phancy which ignorant giddy men may call the Spirit but it is the Spirit of Life in the new Birth into which we would ultimately resolve our adhesion to the pure Truth of the Gospel in opposition to the false adulterate Religion of the Church of Rome And the Dictates of this Spirit in its opposition to the gross Idolatries Impostures and Barbarities of that carnal Church which true Dictates are the Privilege of that Life that is to Righteousness in the meanest regenerate Christian would I set against the popular conceit of that false Churche's Infallibillity This true ground though popular would I have retain'd to bear against that popular Imposture of pretending that the Church of Rome cannot erre For we being made free by that Spirit of true Sanctification and Holiness all their Frauds and Wickednesses are easily felt by vital Antipathy whereby their Autority falls to the Dust and all their contradictious Figments made for their own worldly Interests are easily judged by the meanest Reason back'd and emboldened by this sincere Spirit of Righteousness and Love and so they are found through the Assistence of this living Principle common to all true Christians to be Murtherers Idolaters and gross Impostours This is palpable to the Spirit of Life in the new Birth which is the Privilege as I said of every true Christian. Nor will all their subtilties of Reason or far-fetched deductions of a tedious or endless intricate Sophistry be able at all to move or entangle such as are thus perfectly freed from Superstition and so firmly establish'd in this Principle of Life and Reality Philop. This is not onely a safe Sanctuary against all the perverse Sophisms and cunningly-devised Intricacies of the Church of Rome whereby they would illaqueate such honest Christians whose Education has not made them nimble enough at the weapon of Reason and Disputation but is also a strong engagement to make us all more closely and seriously Christianize that we may the more palpably feel our selves actuated by this Spirit of Life and thereby the more justly and securely defie all the Sophisters of the Dark Kingdome I mean this will not onely scatter and repell them but establish and edifie our selves to eternall Life Philoth. Your observation Philopolis is very true and good But now as by way of Counterpoize I have set the Spirit of Life in the new Birth against the pretense of the Infallibility of their Church so for my part I think to run counter to them in most things that are notoriously peculiar to them would prove a safe Direction in Policy As for example They are peculiarly infamous for their Doctrine and Practice upon account of Spiritual Jurisdiction of depriving men of their temporal Rights as if Dominion were founded in Grace and upon this pretense of Deposing of Kings and of raising their Subjects in Rebellion against them Wherefore my Fifth Document or Instruction should be to all the members of Christ's Kingdome The Fifth Principle That they do not suffer themselves to be stained with the least blemish or taint of Disloyalty to their lawfull Sovereign upon any account whatsoever but especially upon a Religious one there being no greater Disinterest to the true Religion then to appear to be promoted or maintained by so gross Immorality as Disloyalty nor no greater Advantage then through Faith and Patience to bear all Trialls and hardships as the old primitive Christians did Whose eyes being lift up to Heavenward and their feet directed wholly in that path by a Providence stumbled on the Imperiall Crown the Emperour at last becoming a profess'd Christian. Which was a very accumulate Completion of that Prediction of our Saviour Matt. 6.33 First seek the Kingdome of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you as has been noted before Philop. This is an excellent Principle indeed Philotheus and has annexed to it a comfortable Observation for all those that live under Princes that as yet are not converted to the pure Faith of the Gospell but are still captivated to the Religion of Rome But as for your Politicall Principle of alwaies running counter to that Church in what-ever they seem so notorious I doubt how that will alwaies hold For they do notoriously boast of and affect an universal Unity in Judgement and Practice should we therefore affect or indulge to a Disunity or Difformity in matters of Religion Philoth. Alas Philopolis my meaning was not that we should run counter to them in any good things they boast of but in those bad things they have They are divided into multitudes of Opinions amongst themselves as well as others are And in those things they seem universally united in they are rather forcibly held together by externall awe and fear of being burnt or having their throats cut then out of plain Conviction of Conscience that the Points they universally profess are true This is not Vnion of Life and Spirit but the cramming and crouding disunited dust feathers and straws and tying them up close in one bag This is all the union they have in their universal Profession But why this should be called Christian Vnion thus by a barbarous force and compulsion to make a company of men profess and practise the same things be they never so Idolatrous or wicked I understand not Nor know I what is if this be not an Vnion or Communion Antichristian Wherefore we run opposite enough to them if we set up against their Antichristian Vnion an Vnion which is truely and really Christian. Which shall be the Sixth Instruction viz. That we endeavour above all things after an Vnion of unfeigned Belief and Love The Sixth Principle That it may be said of the Church as of the living Creatures in the Cherubick Chariot of Ezekiel Whither the Spirit was to go Ezek. 1.20 they went Philop. XXX How the Church shall attain to the Unity of
rest of the Army of the great King with such splendour and luster as is ineffable their Mouths also being filled with Songs of Victory and their Ears with the Echo of their own Melodie For the Air was miraculously tuned into Musicall Accents to their Divine Ditties as if some invisible hand had play'd upon the Concave of the Heavens as upon some well-strung Harpsicall or Theorbo So that my Soul was so enravished with the sight and with the Musick that my Heart melted mine Eyes flowed over with tears and my Spirits failed within me for very excess of Joy Philop. Certainly Theomanes was in a very great Rapture when he was thus affected Philoth. And he was thus really affected Philopolis as he told me and I dare believe him for he is a man of the greatest Simplicity imaginable Philop. But I have interrupted you again Philotheus before I was aware I pray you go on Philoth. But part of this pleasure was quickly intercepted by a sudden overcasting of the Heavens as it were with an universal thick Cloud of a rusty hue But I heard the Musick still whereby I might discern the motions of that Triumphal Pomp. But a more dreadfull noise presently put an end to that Rapture also For this Cloud of Night broke into a Chasm near the celestial Army which was instantly filled with a most glorious Light and through that lucid passage I heard a mighty voice like the sound of a Trumpet saying I am Alpha and Omega the First and the Last the Beginner and Continuer and Ender of Ages I am he that lived and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore and have the Keys of Hell and Death Whereupon the Chasm closed again and the Souls of the forsaken were filled with horrour For they presently expected the execution of that dreadful Sentence Matt. 25.41 Go ye accursed into everlasting Fire And indeed after some pause and silence wherein I again heard that Heavenly Melodie but a little farther off that Triumphant Company ascending higher and higher through the bright azure fields of peacefull Bliss the arched roof of this hollow Dungeon seemed all on fire with cross Flashings and Lightenings running all over Which had no sooner ceased but the seventh Thunder uttered its voice which was accompanied with a rowling and tearing noise every way over the whole Sky Whereupon the Clouds set a-raining one continuall sad and direful showr of Fire and Brimstone upon this forlorn Crew till the whole Earth became but as one round Lake or Pond of burning Sulphur Apoc. 20.15 And whosoever had not his name found in the Book of Life his portion was in this Lake of fire burning with Brimstone Apoc. 21.8 which is the second Death This is Theomanes his Vision O Philopolis of the seven Thunders Which contains in it the most distinct order and succession of Affairs in the Church from the beginning of the seventh Trumpet to the end of all things that I ever met with I must confess the Distinctions are but general but if I had had any thing more precise and particular that great sincerity and nobleness of spirit and hearty love and zeal for the Interest of the Kingdome of God which I persuade my self I discern in you would have obliged me to have imparted it to you with a very good will Philop. I give you many thanks Philotheus for your good opinion and bountiful intention But what you have imparted is more then I could merit or hope to obtain from any other hand and such as I must acknowledge my self competently well satisfied with as having some guess what every one of those Thunders mean but should be better confirmed in my apprehensions thereof if you would briefly communicate your thoughts of them Philoth. That I shall doe XXXIX A brief Explication of Theomanes his Vision and very briefly O Philopolis These seven Things therefore are orderly contained in the seven Spaces of the seven Thunders In the first the Effusion of the seven Vials In the second The settling or establishing of the Church into the State of the new Ierusalem come down from Heaven In the third That more full and universal Reign of Christ called the blessed Millennium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or in a more proper and eminent sense In the fourth The loosing of Satan or the visible vergency of the World to another Degeneracy or Apostasie from the Kingdome of Christ. In the fifth An Attempt of the apostatized part of the World to get the Dominion again over the Godly and the danger of the Wicked's again captivating the Iust. In the sixth The visible appearance of Christ in the last Judgement wherein he gives Sentence upon both the bad and the good In the seventh and last The Execution of this Sentence the Godly and sincere Believers ascending with the holy Angels towards their Heavenly Inheritance prepared for them while Hypocrites and Unbelievers are tumbling with the Devils in the Lake of Brimstone burning with Fire Philop. I thought there was some such meaning of this Vision and plainly see through the Symbols and Iconisms of it that there is nothing contained in it that is at all dangerous or Heterodox But the manner of his being affected in his receiving these orderly-ranged Truths seems to me something extraordinary Does not Theomanes highly relish such a peculiarity of Dispensation O Philotheus Philoth. XL The important Usefulness of Theomanes his Vision together with the Iustifiableness of his yielding to such an Impression Not at all Philopolis so far as I can discern He onely expresses himself well pleased with the Reasonableness and Usefulness of the Vision For he professes it consonant to both Scripture and Philosophy and has taken notice severall times in my hearing how useful it is both for the digesting all those Visions in the Apocalypse that appertain to the last Trumpet into their right Order according to Synchronism and also to discover the Ignorance of some that have pretended to Inspiration who guessing that the last Trumpet is the Trumpet of the last Judgement in a Politicall sense but not discerning these distinct parts of it I mean the distribution thereof into the seven Thunders have adventured to conclude to the prejudice of the Apostolick Faith that there is no other Judgement but this nor any other Trumpet to raise the Dead and to summon them before the Tribunal of Christ then the Evangelization of a certain Doctrine of their own broaching But assuredly Philopolis that Resurrection which S t. Paul treats of in his first Epistle to the Corinthians is not a Moral nor Politicall Resurrection as cannot but be palpably manifest to any one that impartially peruses his Discourse and therefore the last Trumpet there mentioned cannot bear a mere Moral or Politicall signification As it is manifest that cannot in his first to the Thessalonians For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout 1 Thess. 4.16 17. with the voice of
and Customes V. Of the barbarous Custome of going naked VI. Of the ridiculous Deckings and Adornings of the Barbarians VII The Lawlessness of the Barbarians and their gross Extravagancies touching Wedlock apologized for by Cuphophron Advocate-General for the Paynims VIII Of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the men of Arcladam that lie in Child-bed for their Wives IX Of the Pagans Cruelty to their Enemies and inhumane Humanity to their Friends X. Their killing men at Funerals to accompanie the dead XI The Caraiamites murthering good men to seise on their Vertues XII Of the Anthropophagi or Cannibals XIII Of the Atheism and the Polytheism of the Barbarians XIV Of their Men-Sacrifices XV. Of their worshipping the Devil XVI Of their sacrificing men to the Devil XVII Of Self-sacrificers XVIII The meaning of Providence in permitting such horrid usages in the world XIX The Madness of the Priests of the Pagans XX. Of their Religious Methods of living in order to future Happiness XXI Of their Opinions touching the other State XXII The Vnsuccessfulness of Cuphophron's Advocateship hitherto in reference to the ease of Hylobares his Perplexities XXIII Severall Considerations to make us hope that the state of the World may not be so bad as Melancholy or History may represent it The first Consideration The second Consideration The third Consideration The fourth Consideration The fifth Consideration The sixth Consideration The seventh Consideration The eighth Consideration XXIV Excellent Instances of Morality even in the most barbarous Nations The ninth Consideration The tenth Consideration The last Consideration XXV Cuphophron's rapturous Reasons why God does not dissolve the World notwithstanding the gross Miscarriages in it with Hylobares and Sophron's solid Animadversions thereon XXVI Hylobares as yet unsatisfied touching the Goodness of Providence by reason of the sad Scene of things in the World XXVII An Hypothesis that will secure the Goodness of Providence were the Scene of things on this Earth ten times worse then it is XXVIII Bathynous his Dream of the two Keys of Providence containing the above-mentioned Hypothesis XXIX His being so rudely and forcibly awaked out of so Divine a Dream how consistent with the accuracy of Providence XXX That that Divine Personage that appeared to Bathynous was rather a Favourer of Pythagorism then Cartesianism XXXI The Application of the Hypothesis in the Golden-Key-Paper for the clearing all Difficulties touching the Moral Evils in the World XXXII Severall Objections against Providence fetch'd from Defects answered partly out of the Golden partly out of the Silver-Key-Paper XXXIII Difficulties touching the Extent of the Universe XXXIV Difficulties touching the Habitableness or Unhabitableness of the Planets XXXV That though the World was created but about six thousand years ago yet for ought we know it was created as soon as it could be XXXVI Hylobares his excess of Ioy and high Satisfaction touching Providence from the Discourse of Philotheus XXXVII The Philosopher's Devotion XXXVIII The hazard and success of the foregoing Discourse XXXIX The Preference of intellectual Ioy before that which is sensual XL. That there is an ever-anticipative Eternity and inexterminable Amplitude that are proper to the Deity onely The Fourth Dialogue I. A brief Recapitulation of what has hitherto passed in their discourse page 1. II. The great force of a firm Belief of a a God and his Providence for the fixing a man's Faith in the truth of Christianity 3 III. The folly of Scepticism perstringed 5 IV. That there is a Divine Temper of Body requisite for the easilier receiving and more firmly retaining Divine Truth with the Method of obtaining it 7 V. Philopolis his Quere's touching the Kingdome of God 13 VI. What the Kingdome of God is in the general Notion thereof with a defence of the truth of the Notion 14 VII Of the absolute Sovereignty of God and whereon it is grounded 21 VIII The Kingdome of God withinus what it is 27 IX The means of acquiring it 31 X. The externall Kingdome of God properly so called what it is 39 XI When this Kingdome of God began 41 XII Of Christ's appearing in humane shape to the Patriarchs before his Incarnation 46 XIII Thy Kingdome come in what sense meant in our Saviour's time and afterwards 50 XIV The Easiness of the Prophetick style 57 XV. Where the Kingdome of God now is 59 XVI That smaller faults in Things or Persons hinder not but that a Church may still be the Kingdome of God 64 XVII The Charge of Antinomianism against the Reformation 67 XVIII The Charge of Calvinism against the Reformation 71 XIX The Charge of that horrid sin of Rebellion 78 XX. What Success the Kingdome of God has had hitherto in the World and how correspondent to Divine Predictions 93 XXI Historicall Types of what was to befall Christ and his Church as the Sufferings of Joseph and his Exaltation 99 XXII The Paschal Lamb and the Israelites passage through the Red Sea 102 XXIII The brazen Serpent the Tabernacle High-priest and whole Camp of Israel a Type of Christ and his Church 108 XXIV Vocal Prophecies touching the Kingdom of Christ and its Success in the World 113 XXV The Apostasie of the Church how consistent with the durableness of God's Kingdome in Daniel 120 XXVI The Kingdome of Antichrist how warrantably so called and whether the Pope be that Man of Sin spoken of by the Apostle 124 XXVII Emperours and Princes how frequently excommunicated by the Pope 148 XXVIII The Bishop of Rome how hugely guilty of the effusion of bloud in Christendome 160 XXIX Their murtherous Attempts in Poisoning and Stabbing of Princes 164 XXX Cuphophron's Apologie in the behalf of the Romish Idolatries 169 XXXI His Apologie in the behalf of their Impostures and Murthers 176 XXXII How the Man of sin can be said to sit in the Temple of God while his sitting there makes it the Synagogue of Satan 182 XXXIII Means to know that the Man of sin prophesied of is already come into the World 185 XXXIV Cuphophron's ridiculous Indifferency in the greatest Points of Religion 190 XXXV Some few Prophecies hinted at touching the Reformation 192 XXXVI In what part of the Revolution of Ages we now are with some Cautions for the right understanding of the style of the Apocalypse 195 XXXVII The Application of the three first Vials to externall Events 201 XXXVIII Philopolis his last Quere deferr'd till next day's meeting 212 XXXIX The Conclusion with the Song of Moses and the Lamb sung to the Theorbo by Bathynous 214 The Fifth Dialogue I. The Entrance into the Dialogue 217 II. Philopolis his last Quere touching the Success of the Kingdome of God till the end of all things 218 III. The Interpretation of the fourth Vial. 221 IV. The Interpretation of the fifth and sixth Vials 228 V. The Interpretation of the last Vial. 235 VI. The future Glory of the Church after the utter destruction of Babylon 258 VII The Extent thereof 263 VIII A more particular Description of the future