speeches to gain love and favour 3. Wit and Eloquence to perswade men to aide and to assist him 4. Large promises and great gifts to win them unto him 5. Signes and wonders all pretended to be done from God to draw men to a good belief of all his actions And if all these cannot serve the turn to make men to become his adherents and assistants then 6. Terrors and torments must do the deed and it is demanded If this sixfold Art was not most exquisite in the Presbyterians and the prevalent faction of the long Parliament But to go on to shew you the sins of the Antichrist Aretius as E. H. quoteth him doth thus paint him out saying Invadet imperium Antichristus ac dominabitur titulo justae possessionis ac verae pietatis sed ubi revelari caeperit publicè his notis or nabitur quas Apostolus hic ei tribuit videlicet homo peccati filius perditionis Upon which words of Aretius E. H. doth thus paraphrase E.H. De Antichristo pagina 78. that the Antichrist is called the man of sin because he is the Protector and Patron of many gross sins he rollerates Idolatry and Rebellion he invadeth Kingdoms and under pretence of setting up Piety and promoting Saintship he takes possession of the Throne as if he were the right heir thereof and none is so great a Saint as he if you will believe his words or the flaettering Titles of his Followers that adorn him with most goodly Eulogies but when he shall begin to appear publikely that is to be revealed as the Apostle saith and to be made known by his marks and sins unto the Saints he shall have none other ornaments to put on that is from those Servants of God to whom only he shall be revealed but what the Scripture gives him that is the man of sin and the Son of perdition which is the Title of Judas that betrayed his Master his King and his Saviour and what we read in the Revelation Rev. 11. the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit which will make war with Gods Witnesses that is the Magistrates and the Governours of Gods Church the faithful Pastors and Preachers of his Word and will overcome them and kill them and of whom the Holy Ghost principally saith Rev. 22.11 He that is unjust let him be unjust still and he that is filthy let him be filthy still and never go about to strive to make him clean because it is but lost labour Aethiopum lavare to wash a Blackmoore to make him white And so it is to seek to amend that man of sin and all his wicked followers that think themselves better and more righteous than all others and therefore as our Saviour saith that the Publicans and harlots shall go into the Kingdom of heaven that is be sooner converted before the High Priests and the Pharisees that think themselves to be the only Saints and the bringers of others into heaven so the Drunkards Swearers Whore-mongers Sabbath-breakers Robbers and the like lewd livers and prophane persons may be sooner converted and brought to repentance than this hypocritical Saint and those Saint-like sinners that think themselves most wise and more holy than all others and from this confidence do act all the Villanies Cruelties and abominable Impieties against the Service of God and do such intollerable injuries to the Servants of Christ as that greater cannot be devised Thus you see how this man of sin is described unto you by these Learned men for a most notorious transcendent sinner but all this while it is not agreed upon of all sides whom the Apostle meaneth in this place by this man of sin that should be such an extraordinary sinner for Dr. Hammond and some others would have us hereby to understand Simon Magus because that Justinus Irenaeus and some other Authors do avouch there was a Statue erected unto him and an Altar with this Inscription Simoni sancto deo to Simon the holy God But the truth is that Justinus being a Grecian and not so well vers'd in the Roman Antiquities mistook the Inscription Varro lib. 4. which was Semoni Sanco Deo to Semo Sancus the God for so Varro that was most skilful in the Roman Histories saith Inter Deos Romanorum non obscurus fuit Deus Semo qui Sancus appellabatur Among the Gods of the Romans the God Semo which was also called Sancus was none of the obscurest or meanest God and accordingly Ovid saith Ovid. fast lib. 6. Quaerebam nonas Maresius p. 79. Caracotta p. 25. Sanco fidione dicarem or referrem An tibi Semo pater tu mihi Sancus ait Or as some Copies have it Tu mihi Sancus eris And therefore others as the Commentator upon this place conceived to be Hugo Grotius perceiving this mistake of the Greek Interpreters doth understand Caius Caligula to be this man of sin Sueton. c. 10. of whom Suetonius saith Nec Servum meliorem ullum nec deteriorem Dominum fuisse There could not be a better Servant or Subject than he was and a worser Lord or Master could not be found So that he was brought forth as it seemeth Ut ostenderet quid summa vitia in summa fortuna possent that in him might be seen what the greatest vice or the most vicious men might do in the highest fortune as Seneca writes of him unto Albinus And it is true that Caligula was insigniter scalestus Hyppolitus in Orat de sins seculi Caracotta pag. 6. deinceps a most notorious wicked Emperour yet not meant here by the Apostle under the Title of the man of sin as Maresius and Caracotta prove at large and do shew that the best of all Interpreters both Old and New do assent that the Apostle meaneth the Antichrist that should come into the World a little before the End of the World and not any of these Antichrists that came so soon as the Apostles time But though we cannot digito demonstr are dicier hic est name the man and say This is he Yet from Daniels explication of the acts of Antiochus and from these Comments and Paraphrase of the aforesaid Divines upon the words of S. Paul you may as Moses did from Mount Nebo view the Land of the Canaanites behold some of the sins of the Antichrist and thereby have a shrewd guess who he is For that collected multitude and pack of wicked men which as I shewed to you must be understood by the Antichrist The doings of the great Antichrist shall as you have heard oppose the Kingly Government protect Rebels Hereticks and Blasphemers tyrannize most lawlesly over Gods Servants usurpe the supream Authority change the Laws the Times and the good Customes of the Saints and People of God subdue three Kings or Kingdoms suppress the Governours of Gods Church and the Preachers of his Word and do all this and the like feats upon pretence of Zeal to
the late persecution of the Christians under the Long Parliament how Gangraena-like it spread it self beyond Decius or Dioclesians Tyranny and almost in these parts like Adams sin that went over all so did their Persecution run over all the most Faithful Sons of the Church and the Loyal Subjects of these Kingdoms And I would faign know what Busiris or Phalaris Dionysian Dioclesian or Nero or John Vasilowic the great Russian Tyrant or what other Tyrant of the world hath ever undone so many worthy men without once questioning them for any fault or charging them with any Crime that they had done or who did ever attempt to destroy so many only for being ill affected to their evil deeds But now The unparallel'd Persecution and cruelty of the prevalent Faction of the long Parl. being thus afflicted destitute and deprived of all their Means how shall all these these thousands of most worthy men live These men that were not brought up to work and used not to dig and are ashamed to beg and therefore without a great measure of Gods Grace to support them and to sanctifie their Afflictions they might fall into desperate conditions They will answer as one of them did to me and like as the High Priests the Crucifiers of our Master Christ answered Judas What is that to us Let them live how they list or let them perish sic periere ruinae and so for them they shall all utterly perish And therefore I may well demand what Tyrant did ever live since the day that God created the Heavens What King What Pope What Hildebrand * That is Gregory the 7th that was one of the worst Popes of Rome What Hel-brand What Turk What Jew What Man What Devil would besuch an Apollyon as to cut off not all the necks of the Heathenish Romans with that bloudy Emperor who wished that they all had but unum Collum one neck that so he might chop it off uno ictu with one blow but all those good Christians and the Faithful Servants of God uno halitu with one Vote one Breath and one Act which was an Axe indeed and was laid to the root of every Tree that bare the good fruit of Faith and Obedience in these Kingdoms Surely I think none could have devised such a Plot so full of mischief so far beyond the Sicilian Vespers and Gunpowder Treason and so void of Humanity and stuffed up with all cruelty and abominable Impiety especially if you consider the large extent and the evil Consequents thereof except the infernal Apollyon the great Destroyer of Christianity and the Hellish Misanthropos that laboureth continually to root out all the Christian Faith and the true Service of God out of the world did unmoveably reside in their hearts to prompt them and to spur them on unto the same or else that Beelzebub the chief of the Devils would send a pack of his Prime Captains and best Instruments out of Hell to root out all the true Servants of Jesus Christ For if you compare this our last persecution and afflictions under the Long Parliament with the former Persecutions of the Heathen Tyrants or the Arian Kings which they brought upon the Church you shall find 1. That there was but one Nero one Dioclesian one Constantius and one Julian in all the world at one time to persecute the Christians that were spread over all the world but here amongst us we suppose to have I know not how many hundred Dioclesians and Julians together at one time in one City to vex and persecute the Christians of one poor little Island 2. The Forme◠Tyrants persecuted them for their Disloyalty as they alledged unto their Emperors and Governours which was most false as appeareth by the Apologies of Tertullian Minutius Foelix and others But we were persecuted for being Faithful and Loyal unto our King and to our Governours as all the Kingdom knoweth CHAP. II. That neither the Pope nor the Turk is the great Antichrist that the Antichrist when he should come into the world should arise out of the Truest and Purest Reformed Church on Earth which was the Church of Ingland in King Charles his time being fully reformed of those Errors and Abuses that should creep and had crept into the Church which other Reformed Churches had not so perfectly purged And wherefore they did it not and could not do it THE serious consideration of the former things What moved the Author to enter upon this discourse of the great Antichrist and the sad condition of the Distressed Persecuted Members of Christ and the Testimony of the foresaid Authors touching the Persecution that should happen in the time of the Great Antichrist which I conceived to be now so visibly seen and so universally spread through the Subtilty and Cruelty of the Prevalent Faction of the Long Parliament have moved me to settle my Thoughts upon the search of those Texts of Holy Scripture wherein the holy Prophets and the blessed Apostles had treated and foretold us of the coming of the Great Antichrist and the sufferings of the Saints and true Servants of God in his time and under his unjust and cruel Government and to pray to God most earnestly and constantly night and day for the help of his Grace and assistance of his Holy Spirit to guide me to the true and right understanding thereof And then by reading the best Authors that I could find to explain those obscure Mysteries and to further me to undertake the same I found and saw I. Many good and probable Arguments produced by Luther Calvin Beza 1. That many learned Authors do hold the Pope or Papacy to be the Antichrist Balaeus de vit Pontif. l. 3. Jun. in Apocal. cap. 12. Thomson in the arraignment of Antichrist pag. 90 91. Brightman in Apoc. Downam de Antichristo l. 10. c. 3. 4. Thomson pag. 77. Junius Chytraeus Tilenus Maresius and our own Countrymen Powel Whitaker Brightmen Downam Thomsom Mede and others very Learned Protestants and worthy men to prove that either the Tyrannical State and Polity of the Papacy is that Great Antichrist as some would have it or else Series Paparum the Succession of Popes from Boniface the 3d in Phocas his time that usurping Emperor who got to the Imperial Throne by the Murder of his own Master Mauritius and his Wife and his Brother and his Children and gave to the Pope the Preheminency and the Title of Universal Bishop about the year 605 as Balaeus saith Or from Boniface the 8th that seduced and imprisoned his Predecessor Celestine the 5th about the year 1294 as Junius saith Or else from Vitellianus the Musical Pope about the year 666 as Thomson saith to this present Pope is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great Antichrist spoken of by St. Paul in 2 Thes 2.8 and by St. John in Revel 13.1 And that Rome is the place of his abode and the proper Seat of him as Brightman Downham
For the Puissance of her Kings and Princes she outwent all other Cities whatsoever Nimrod called Belus by the Gentiles but indeed his Father that was Noahs Granchilds Son being the first and the stoutest man then on earth then Belus Nimrods Son whom the Gentiles honoured as a god in after times and after him Ninus that built the great City of Nineveh then his Wife the Mirrour of all women Semiramis afterwards omitting all those Eighteen Kings which Berosus nameth and Twenty more that Sleidan setteth down Phul-Belochus that swayed the Scepter 48 years 2 Reg 15.19 and Philazzar whom the Holy Scripture nameth Phul-Assur that reigned 23 years and Salmanazar that reigned 10 years and subdued all Phoenicia The Monarchs of Assyria that reigned in this Chaldean Babylon excepting Tyrus and carried away the King of Israel and the Ten Tribes Captives into Media and Sennacherib that for reviling God and the good King Hezekiah by a rayling Rabsheca was forced to return home with dishonour and then slain by his own Sons in the Temple of his Idols after he had reigned seven years and Esar-haddon whom Josephus calleth Asaracoldus reigned Eleven years Esa 39.1 and Berodac whom Esayas calleth Ben-Merodac that after the revolution of Twelve years translated the Kingdom to the Assyrians and reigned afterwards Eighteen years And Nebuchadnezzar that said Is not this great Babylon that I have built that is so great and so glorious as now it is for the House of the Kingdom and for the Glory of my Majesty Dan. 4.30 And then Belshazzar his Son whom Darius did succeed And many other famous Kings and Princes reigned and ruled in and over this Great and Glorious City of Babylon more than we read to have done over any one other City of the world And therefore this City in these and many other respects was the most resplendent of all the known Cities of the whole Universe and is in that respect termed by the Prophet Esay Esa 13.9 and said to be the Glory of Kingdoms But it is yielded of all sides that this Literal Chaldean Babylon is no where meant to be the Seat of the Great Antichrist that must arise in and out of the true Church of Christ and seat himself in a greater and a more Mystical Babylon And therefore II. Babylon mystically understood which must be so understood to be the Seat of the Antichrist is taken two waies 2. Mystically understood two manner of waies 1. Generally for the whole world of Wickedness 2. Particularly for some special Place of this world Generally 1 1. When the Prophet saith By the waters of Babylon we sate down and wept when we remembred thee O Sion And again O Daughter of Babylon wasted with misery yea happy shall he be that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us Ps 137.1 ult and blessed shall he be that taketh thy children and throweth them against the stones Though literally and in the first sense they are to be understood of the Chaldean Babylon yet mystically they are to be taken for this wicked world which is the City of Satan and the Metropolis of his Empire For although God be the King of all the earth both by the right of Creation and Preservation yet Satan is said to be the King of this Babylon by the unjust Title of usurpation and therefore he is called the Prince of this world that ruleth in the hearts of the children of Disobedience And this world is resembled compared and doth symbolize Babylon in very very many things but especially in these five respects The world resembled to Babylon in five respects Propter 1. Amaenitatem Pleasantness 2. Cacitatem Blindness 3. Celsitudinem Height of Spirit 4. Confusionem All kind of Disorder and Confusion 5. Iniquitatem The Multiplicity of all kind of Iniquity For Respect 1 1. Babylon was the delight of the Nations and a most sweet and pleasant place as I shewed to you before even so the world ab ornatu dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is so called by the Grecians from the beauty of it Quid enim mundo praestantius For what can be more excellent and pleasanter than this world saith Lucius Apuleius Respect 2 2. The Assyrian Babylon was full of blindâ—ess and ignorance Jer. 59.17 For as the Prophet saith Every man was brutish in his knowledge so is the world as our Saviour sheweth I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter whom the world cannot receive quia non videt eum nec scit eum because it seeth him not John 14.17 and knoweth him not for though the light shined in darkness yet the darkness comprehended it not and though the Ministers of Christ do preach the Truth daily unto the world yet the children of this world are still drowned in Darkness and will not receive the knowledge of the Truth that they might be saved John 1.5 Respect 3 3. The Assyrian Baâ—ylon was full of Pride so high and so haughty that they would build a Tower which should reach to Heaven And the Prophet saith of her Jer. 50.29 She hath been proud against the Lord against the Holy One of Israel And so is the world full of Pride Maxima quaeque domus servis est plena superbis Not a great House but hath a great deal of Pride and proud Servants in it saith the Poet. Respect 4 4. The Assyrian Babylon was full of all Disorder and Confusion the Labourer would be a Director and a Master-worker the Mason would play the Carpenter and the Carpenter would be the Joyner and so none was contented with his own station not any man dutiful in his own Place but when the Masters called for Bricks the Servants brought them Clay when they desired Bread they gave them Stones and therefore it was called Babel because of this disorderly confusion Even so it is in this world no man is contented with his own state none dutiful in his place and none satisfied with his own condition but as the Poet saith Optat ephippia bos niger optat arare Caballus The Oxe would bear the saddle and the Horse would draw the Plow Respect 5 5. Babylon in Chaldea was full of Sins for she hath sinned against the Lord saith the Prophet So the whole world lieth in wickedness saith the Apostle And all that is in the world Jer. 50.14 John 2.16 is either concupiscence of the eyes or concupiscence of the flesh or Pride of life Haectria pro trino numine mundus habet Particularly 2 2. And more Particularly Many other Cities and Kingdomes of this world are and may in this Mystical sense be rightly stiled Babylon And that either Two waies 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Respectively secundum quid For so 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eminently exceeding all the rest For so Respectively 1 1. 1 Pet 5.13 The City of Rome is called Babylon by the Apostle and is
as they did against Christ against his Apostles 2. Things to be observed and here against the Witnesses and Servants of Christ Now for the better understanding of the particulars concerning this Beast it is to be observed 1. 1. What 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth and how little it was in the beginning That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth as I said before a little Wild Beast parallel to the little Horne that Daniel speaks of for as that Horne at the first was but little and indeed very little in comparison of the other nine Hornes and yet afterwards it grew to be greater and of far greater power and especially of far greater Tyranny impiety and all other abominable wickedness then all the other nine Hornes So this Beast here The parallel c. 13. spoken of at the first compacting of it when all the parts of it were convened and met together to make one body it had but a little power it is objected that the House of Commons had not justly at first any power to condemne any man nor of right to administer an oath to any one their priviledges which at first they had by favour being through custome and countinance conceived to have grown greater then any power or authority that they could challenge by any right let my reader judge whether this be true or not I will not determine it But as the Poet saith Inest quoque gratia parvis there may be much vertue in a little substance so there may be much mischief in a little Beast especially when it is swollen to his full with deadly Poyson as the Serpent that deceived our fore-Fathers was but little and a slender Beast far less then many other Creatures yet was he more subtle then any Beast of the Field Gen. 3.1 and as the Spider is but a very small worme yet it is full of most deadly Poyson so this Beast * Here c. 13. spoken of Let my reader judge whether the diminutive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be answerable to the Parliament in their originall ô nulla dolor contente paena quaere supplicia horrida incognita nefanda Junonem doce quid odia vaeleant nescitirasci satis Seneca in Here. oet 2. From whence the Beast did arise Gen. 1.10 Revel 17.15 Ex populorum multitudine marestus pag. 115. The Pope not this Beast and why The world compared to the Sea 1. For the turbulency Psal 65.7 2 For the inconstancy though at the first convention was but very little both in power and Authority yet being full of malice against the Witnesses and for some private respects most greedy of revenge and having the subtlety of many heads tempore succrevit it grew in a very short time to be so powerfull that all men wondered thereat and cryed out who is able to deal with the Beast for they saw the Poets could not express such a revengefull minde in Medea or Dianira that said O sorrow which no vengeance can suffice Some unknown horrid punnishment device What hate can do let June learne of me as they saw in this Beast against the Witnesses of Christ and against all that assisted or adhered to them 2. We are to observe that St. John saw 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this little Beast to arise out of the Sea and that is out of the deep and it is therefore said to be the Beast that ascindeth out of the bottomless pit where the Devill was bound and from whence now he sends this Beast and you know the Sea is corpus aggregatum a body compacted and made up of many waters for the Lord called the gathering together of the Waters Seas and the Holy Ghost expoundeth the Waters which the Apostle saw to signifie peoples and multitudes and Nations and Tongues so that the rising of this Beast out of the Sea is but the choosing and the electing of this pack and society or company of men from the rest and by the rest of the multitude of men that is from the vulgar people and common sort of men which therefore cannot be referred to the Pope that is alwayes chosen from and by a few Cardinalls and never by the vulgar multitudes or else his rising out of the Sea may signifie as Corna lapide understands it their springing and choosing of them out of the World which in many places of holy Writ for the many Analogies and likenesses thereof is often compared unto the Sea as especially 1. Propter Turbulentiam as the Sea is a raging Element so is the people termed turba quasi turbata multitudo a very troublesome multitude and therefore the Prophet joyneth both these together saying thou stillest the rage of the Sea and the noyse of his Waves and the Madness of the people 2. Propter inconstantiam as the Sea is ever ebbing or flowing and never continuing in one stay so is the people of this world ever unconstant in their desires to day they will cry Hosanna to morrow Crucifige in this Parliament they will have no King but a Common-wealth in the next they will be like other Nations and will have a King now they will have a Monarchy anon they will have a democracy and then an Anarchy and so of all things else they are as changeable as the Moon 3. In the 4th c. v. 6. of this Revel 3. For the frugility the World is compared to a Sea of Glass like unto Chrystall that is to a Sea of Glass saith Geminianus Propter fragilitatem for the frailty and brittleness thereof as you may fully see it in the book intituled the Fall of Vnfortunate Princes and to a Sea of Crystall propter frigiditatem 4. For the frigidity thereof by reason of the coldness thereof when as we see the love of many especially worldlings even among brethren is waxen cold Or it may be meant that his rising out of the Sea might signifie his rising out of this Iland of great Brittaine which lieth seated in the mid'st of the Sea that as Constantine who best of all the Emperors promoted the Christian Religion sprung from this Iland so to be revenged for that benefit the Beast who is the Antichrist and the worst enemy to all good Christians should likewise arise out of this Iland and be brought forth by the Dragon in this I le And so you see from Whence this Beast ariseth Who is meant by this Beast even from the multitude of the people or the Commons of the Kingdome but the question still remaineth far greater to know who or what is meant by this Beast for notwithstanding such a Cloud of Witnesses as I produced to you before do unanimously avouch that he signifieth the great Antichrist Francise Junius in locum The mistakes of some learned men so So Mares takes it Pro Rom. imperio etiam aliquandiu ab imperatoribus Christianis obtinendum pag. 115. that should come into the world towards the end of the world
neither of these can be said to have been and not to be and yet to be at the same time as the Holy Ghost affirmeth of this Beast for though Domitian was chosen by the Souldiers whilst his Father Vespasian was in Judaea Vide Caracott◠pag. 52. and then gave up his right and title to the Empire when Vespasian returned to Rome yet this doth not cohere with he is not and yet is which is affirmed of this Beast and though it might have been said that he was and is not and yet shall be if this Vision of the Beast had been shewed to St. John in Vespasians time but it could not possibly be said that he was if according to Epiphanius his Testimony St John was banished to Patmos and had these visions revealed unto him in the Emperor Claudius his time because that after Claudius Nero reigned 13 years Galba seven moneths Otho four moneths and Vitellius eight moneths before Vespasian was made Emperor nor could it be well said that he was whilst Vespasian was in Judaea when he was but an Vsurper and an Intruder while his Father lived or though it might be truly said in some sence that he was and in some other sence that he was not yet can it not be said in any way or in any sence that he was and is not and yet is as the Holy Ghost saith of this Beast How then shall we unfold this Riddle and untie this Gordian knot I answer That the Words in c. 17.8 do seem most coherent to the long Parliament That 1. Was a true Parliament that I have often thought of it and assayd it divers wayes and yet could never see how this Testimony of the Holy Ghost touching this beast that he was and is not and yet is can be applied either to Domitian or to any other of all the Emperours or Kings or Society of men so fitly and so probably agreeing with the meaning of Gods spirit as it is or may be applycable to the long and lately dissolved Parliament for that was a true Parliament when the King called them together and they sate to consult with their King de arduis rebus regni about the great affaires of the Kingdom and took their Oaths and made their solemn Protestation to protect the Kings Person and to maintain the true Protestant Religion 2. Is believed to be no Parliament But I heard many wise men judge it no Parliament when they did expell and cast out their guides and their leaders the Messengers of Christ from among them and endeavoured as the Giants did of old 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make Warre against God and raised an Army against their head and with all their might did fight against their King and at last like did most disloyally cut off his Head that was the head of them and of us all and as the Prophet speaketh of the like godly King 3. And yet still is a Parliament the breath of our nostrills and yet still it is a Parliament in their own esteem and with their adherents and by their peremptory Acts and Ordinances that are still accounted most excellent and binding and are so urged and observed by their adherents and compelled to be observed by all others and by the greatness of that power and authority which they assumed unto themselves and do by their Acts and Lawes execute over all people to this very day more then any other ordinary Parliament ever used whereby you see how this may be understood that is said of the beast that he was and is not and yet is though I leave it to the judicious Reader to judge whether he conceives this to be the meaning of the Holy Ghost or not or whether all this may be so as may thus be coherent and applicable to that long Parliament or not And as this which I have now expressed doth seem very shrewdly to prove Some conceive it thus to be fulfilled I will not determine it the long Parliament is or may be here signified by this beast so that which is set down by the Angel in the 17th Chapter and the 10th verse which is the explication of this vision that is here shewed c. 13. doth more fully seem to illustrate and confirm the same thing for there he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and there are seven Kings that is which have been and will be great and grievous extraordinary persecutors of my people The 5 Kings that were fallen before this Revelation was shewed whereof five are fallen that is dead and gone which we understand by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fallen and these five saith Junius are 1. Servius Sulpitius Galba the seventh Emperour of the people of Rome 2. Marcus Salvius Otho 3. Aulus Vitellius 4. Flavius Vespafianus 5. Titus the Sonne of Vespasian and one is saith the Holy Ghost that is saith he Flavius Domitian another Sonne of the foresaid Vespasian in whose latter Reign saith he St. John wrote this Revelation and another is not yet come saith the Text that is saith he Cocceius Nerva and the beast that was and is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which our Translators render Junius in annotat in c. 17. joyned to Beza's Translation even he is the eighth even he especially to be observed above any of the other seven saith the Angel and this even he saith Junius is Nerva Trajan that is as I conceive him Cocceius Nerva the last that was aforenamed or rather as the stories shew Vlpius Trajanus qui hic vario respectu Septimus octavus appellatur who himself in divers respects is called here the seventh and the eighth for that although in number and order of succession he be the eighth yet saith he because this man obtained his power and authority with Nerva and did execute his consular office with him when Nerva died he is also said to be the seventh c. 17.11 and is reckoned together with Nerva as if Nerva and Trajan were but one head according to which sence our former Translation though very corruptly reads the beast that was and is not is even the eighth and is one of the seven or as the Geneva notes do understand those Kings The 1. is Nero. 2. Galba 3. Dr. Hammond in permonit pag. 907. Ex Hugone Grotio qui conjutatur Maresio pag. 169. Otho 4. Vitellius 5. Vespasian 6. Titus 7. Domitian 8. Nerva or as Doctor Hammond saith which is more likely to be right if St. John was banished to Patmos in Claudius his time and far more unlikely if his banishment was in Domitians time the 1. is Claudins 2. Nero. 3. Galba 4. Otho 5. Vitellius 6. Vespasian 7. Titus 8. Domitian But indeed all these Expositions and the like annumeration of these Kings that were fallen and extant and to come which would be too tedious for me to rehearse do seem to me to be far wide from the meaning of the Holy Ghost in this place
bour Kings and States being made afraid of that power that could so suddenly subdue these three Kingdoms should very gladly yield themselves to become friends and Associates and to make a league of friendship with this Beast which Exposition may possibly be very near unto the truth when we see little lesse then this already come to passe The Commentator supposed to be Grotius makes these 10 Kings to be the Kings of Armenia Thracia Galatia Judaea Arabia c. which were under the Roman Empire and the Ministers of their Idolatry Et sic alii atque alii aliud atque aliud opinati sunt And truly I do not wonder that these learned men transported with a desire to make the World believe that the Pope is the great Antichrist and so misunderstanding whom the Holy Ghost meaneth by this Beast should in like manner mistake what or whom they should conceive to be the heads and horns and all other parts of this Beast quia uno absurdo dato mille sequuntur one absurdity draweth on another But how far those Expositions of Junius and Alcazar and that likewise of Mr. Mede and of all others that would have these 10 horns to signifie 10 Kings pertaining to the Roman Empire are from the meaning of the Holy Ghost in this Text will most evidently appear if you consider that the particulars of the description of these 10 horns do no wayes square and cohere with these 10 Kings that they speak of for these 10 Kings The former expositions rejected and the reasons shewed in the Text have interest but in one kingdom as you may see in the 17th Chapt. v. 12. and 17. where the spirit of God speaks in the singular number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they had received no Kingdom as yet v. 12. and in the 17. v. it is said that God hath put it in their hearts to fulfill his will and to agree which those Kings never did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to give their Kingdom unto the beast and not their Kingdoms whereas the Kings that were under the Emperour and are become under the Pope were and are properly Kings and have every one of them his own proper and peculiar Kingdom neither can it be said of them as it is said here of these Kings that they have received power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one houre with the beast that is a very very small time when as they came to their power and dominion by descent or by Conquest and did not receive it as these did from any Master that gave it them and they continued therein during their life some of them very long and some of them at one time and some at another time yielded themselvee unto the Pope and all of them were of so different a time one from another that it can never agree The unlikelihood of Mr. Medes Exposition with this one houre or a short space wherein these 10 horns do agree to give their strength and power and Kingdom which they have received unto the Beast Neither is there any likelihood that those 10 Kings which Mr. Mede nameth should be the 10 Kings here meant because they were but transient by the success of Warre and of small Provinces half or quarter of a Kingdom as Vortimer and Hengist here in Ingland Childerick and Gunderick and Theodorick in Gallia and Sumanus but in a little Continent between the Rhene so that they might be better termed Reguli then Reges and because also they were as I said before of a different time one from another which might be the reason as I conceive that made Junius to passe them over un-named because he saw the unlikeliness of these men to be the 10 Kings that are here meant neither could they be said to be the horns of the Roman Empire because they revolted from it and became horns against it and pushed very hard to overcome it but as I said dato uno absurdo mille sequuntur so these learned men mistaking the beast did easily mistake both his heads and his horns But if that by this Beast you understand the long Parliament The 10 horns paralelled with the Parliament you shall finde that as all the other particulars which are here set down in this Prophesie do in every point seem to accord and agree with that Parliament so doth all the description of these 10 horns that is these 10 Kings that had no Kingdom The 10 Horns may be taken to signifie one of these three things 1.10 Of their prime Commanders but the power Authority and strength of Kings which is potestas vitae necis the power of life and death and is the greatest power that any King can have and which they give unto the Beast v. 13. that is use for the service of the Beast doth agree with the Parliament if we understand by these 10 horns either 1. Ten of the prime Generalls and Commanders of that long Parliament which you will confess had no Kingdom and yet had the honour and power of Kings Or 2. If by these 10. horns we understand all their Chieftains 2. All their Chietrains and Commanders whereof not one of them had any Kingdom and yet each one of them had the power and authority of Kings for one hower that is for a small time and you may well remember the best and greatest of them had it not very long and you know likewise they all devoted this their power and strength for the service of them from whom they had received it and they were all of them as the Holy Ghost saith of one mind Gen. 31.7 41. 1 Sam. 1.8 Job 19.3 Eccles 17.19 Revel 2.10 and did all run the same way to fight against the Lamb to overthrowe the true Church and to slay the witnesses of Christ and yet they did all of them as they said hate the Whore the Whore of Babylon that is as they expound it the Church of Rome and all the Romish superstition for 10. being a perfect number the Holy Ghost doth in many places put down this number as he doth many other perfect numbers for an uncertain number as when Jacob said unto Laban Thou hast changed my wages ten times that is many times and the Holy Ghost saith unto the Church of Smyrna thou shalt have tribulation ten dayes that is sever all times so by these 10 horns or 10 Kings we may understand many Chieftains that had the power of Kings which they all imployed for the service of that long Parliament or else 3. If by these 10 horns we understand the greatness and perfection of that power strength and authority which was given and was shewed in those Generalls The horn an Emblem of Strength Psal 18.2 Psal 22.21 Psal 75.10 and they used for the advancement of the Parliament for the Scripture useth to express our strength and power by the Epithite of a horn as you may most frequently finde it in
dominions 2. The Hierarchie or Episcopal government of Gods Church which is as requisite for the Church as the Monarchie is for the Common-wealth for the Church of Christ is said to be Gods vineyard and the vineyard must be well fenced or if the hedge be broken down all the wild beasts of the Forest will destroy the vine so must the Church be well fenced and guarded by wise discreet and careful Governours which are as the fence and hedges that by their spiritual Courts and censures do keep out all Sectaries and hereticks and all errrours and heresies and false doctrine from the Vineyard of God which is the Church of Christ And if these hedges and fences of Gods Church the Bishops and Governours thereof be broken down their Court supprest and themselves nullified and annihilated as that long Parliament did it is as impossible to keep out Sects Hereticks and false Prophets from the Church as it is to keep the civil state and common-wealth in peace and to have justice and equity duly preserved among all men without the civil Magistrates and their Courts of justice for as these protect the innocent and punish the Malesactors with the powerful sword of justice so must the Bishops and Governours of the Church which are best able to judge of divine questions defend the truth and as Christ whipped the buyers and sellers out of the Temple so must they by their censures whip all those Sectaries and Heteticks that will not other wise by fair means be driven out of Gods Church because as Saint Bernard saith qui nolunt duci debent trahi And it is not unknown to any that hath taken notice of the transac ions of these times how that long lasting and intended to be an endlesse everlasting Parliament hath killed our most heroical religious and renowned King the most constant Martyr and the first and chiefest of the two witnesses of Jesus Christ and also Doctor William Laud Arch-Bishop of Cantcrbury and suppressed all the Bishops that were the other witnesse of Christ But our good God hath promised that he would resuscitate and revive the slain and slaughtered Witnesses and restore them to the Church and their charge again Revel 11.11 12. And now you see how the wise and great God whose wayes are in the seas his paths in the great waters and his foot-steps are not known hath by unlikely unprobable and almost in mans judgement impossible wayes through the many many transmutations of things and alterations of governments brought his own purposes to this passe to make you the instruments to effect his will to perform his promise and to be that Cloud in which and by which the two slain Witnesses shall ascend to heaven chapt 11. verse 12. and hath given you power and authority and inabled you to do the same And now most honourable and most renowned Patriots you have most justly most religiously and most gloriously to your everlasting praise revived the first and chief Witnesse of Jesus Christ and restored the government of these nations to be Monarchicall that doth most resemble God himselfe which is the sole Monarch of all the world and is the government that the most nations of all the world hath ever used and especially this kingdome since the first peopling of it and you have put the Crown upon His head to whom your wisdomes knew It justly belonged which was the onely way to bring Peace and to make these kingdomes happy It resteth that the other Witnesse of Christ be revived and the Government of the Church be restored as it hath been ever fince the Apostles time to be Episcopal and so to raise the Bishops and other Ministers their dependants that as yet lye unburied in the streets of the great City to their pristine dignity to their offices their authority and their former estates for their inabling to discharge their duties in the government of God's Church they having suffered wrongs and indignities enough already And I hope your wisdomes will direct you to let the Ark of God be carried upon the Levite's shoulders as the Lord commandeth and suffer the worship and service of God to be used as it was in the reign of Queen Elizabeth King James and King Charles and confirmed by all the Acts of Parliaments and royall edicts in their times and not to suffer the depravers of Gods honour and disturbers of the Peace of the Church out of any singularity or sinister end either to suppresse the same or any wayes to alter it or any part of it unlesse your wisdomes do appoint a full and lawful Synod congregated after the usuall manner of this Church to confider what is fit if any thing be found fitting to be added diminished or altered therein for this care of Gods service to uphold the same in its integrity and purity is the onely thing that will bring a blessing and continue the happinesse of this or any other nation and they are to do the same to whom God hath committed the government of his Church and the teaching of his people And because of the multiplicity of Sects and diversity of opinions that have sprung in this our Church since the killing of the witnesses and that the faith of Christ is to be perswaded by the word of God and not forced by the sword of man I humbly beseech you to grant such toleration as your wisdomes shall think fitting to such weak and tender consciences as cannot on the sudden comply with us in our service to God untill that by a friendly conference painfull preaching and writing of learned books we captivate their understanding and bring them so to the truth and true faith of Christ and service of God and not by rigid wayes and too severe censures and punishments to compell them either to be hypocrites in our Church or Apostates to run out of our Church For I would not have the people of God to be driven hurried and harrased like as we drive wild beasts but to be led gently and eafily like sheep Leni spiritu non dura manu by an inward sweet influence and not by any outward violence And here I humbly beseech your Honours to give me leave to tell you what I am not suffered to be silent videlicet that to take away the Lands and possessions of men that never rebelled nor offered any violence nor the least wrong to any of our Protestant people in Ireland but relieved them and hindred others as much as they could to abuse them and yet to dispossesse and to cast them out of their inheritances because they were Papists and profest themselves Roman Catholicks as the long Parliament and their subordinate instruments in Ireland have done to the utter ruine of many ancient families both of Brittish and English extract is not onely as I conceive most unjust but also contrary to all Christianity and farre enough from humanity it selfe When the Apostle bids us to honour all men that is because
Thomson and many others do unanimously affirm and is according to the Saying of St. John in Revel 17.18 meant by St. Peter where he saith The Church that is at Babylon elected together with you saluteth you 1 Pet. 5.3 and is so interpreted by many of the Ancient Fathers to signifie the City of Rome in that place as Papias apud Euseb l. 2.15 Tertul. adversus Judaeos S. Hieron in Esaiam c. 47. August de Civit. Dei l. 18. c. 22. Oros Synchron l. 2. c. 3. l. 7. c. 2. And divers others of our late Writers And their Reasons to reduce them as brief as I can to certain heads that induce them to believe the Popes and Papacy to be the Antichrist The reasons why the Pope is believed to to be the Antichrist are of two sorts 1. Their Blasphemies Heresies and Impieries against God 2. Their Tyranny Cruelty and Iniquity against man 1. The Popes Impiety against God is seen by their undermining 1. The Popes impiety against God crossing and corrupting all the Articles of our Creed and by a high transgressing of all the Ten Commandments of the Moral Law as Thomson very orderly and largely setteth down and more especially Thomson in his arreign p. 96. I. W. pag. 8.9 10. Deinc Mares de Antichristo p. 101. M. Mede in the apost of the last times their Blasphemies either by their own mouths and proper assertions or by their giving priviledge countenance and approof to the Blasphemies of their Minions and Flatterers which are plentifully set down by J.W. the Author of Roma ruina finalis in Anno 1666. And their Idolatry when Pope Marcellinus sacrificed to the Idols of the Painims and all of them in worshipping their breaden God in the Mass and their Mahuzzims or Deastri their Saints departed and their Relicks as Mr. Mede sheweth in his Learned Treatise of the Apostacy of the last times and his Apocalyptick Key 2. The Popes iniquity towards man Vid. Maresâ—um pag. 140. Their Injustice and Iniquity against man is evidenced by their Pride in their exalting and lifting up themselves above all that is called god that is above Kings and Princes as Gregory the 3. excommunicated the Emperor Leo Iconomachus Zachary the 1st deposed Childerick the lawful King of France to set up Pipin in his room Leo the 3. created Charles the Great to be the Emperor Anastasius durst presume to excommunicate the Emperor Anastatius Grandfather to Justinian about 490. Martin 1. performed the like censure against Constantius the Emperor about 650 but he was therefore brought by Theodorus Calliopa unto the Emperor in Chains and banished into Pontus where he died And Gregory the 7th formerly called Hildebrand about 1080. out-matched all the rest of his Predecessors in pride and boldness by compelling the Emperor Henry the 4th to come barefooted in an humble manner to him to give satisfaction unto his Holiness or else to be deprived of his Kingdom Alexander the 3. trode upon the neck of the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa and as he was setting his foot upon his neck he abused that place of Scripture which saith super Aspidem Basiliscum ambulabis by applying it to justifie this his Luciferian Pride and Tyranny Volater l. 22. Anthropolog in Alex. 3. Roger Hovâ—don annal pag. 2. sub Richard 1. And it is recorded that Alexander 6. poysoned Gemes the great Turks brother that was committed to his trust Hildebrand hired one to kill the Emp. John the 13. and committed incest with his two fifters The 31 Article of the Confession of the Synod of Gappe And Adrian the 4th made the said Emperor to hold his stirrop while he got upon his Palfrey And Celestine the 3. was so insolent as to put the Crown upon the head of Henry the 6th and of the Empress with his foot and pushing it off again in like manner to say I have power to make and to unmake Emperors at my pleasure a Pride surpassing the pride of Lucifer Prince of pride and Diameter-wise opponent to the Humility of Christ And as the Pride of these Popes puffed up their hearts to swell above all earthly Powers so the Injustice and Cruelty of the Roman Bishops and that Hierarchy were no whit less towards their Inferiours as appeareth by the unjust and barbarous burning of John Hus and Hierom of Prague and the rest of those bloody Massacres that were acted in France by the Popes Procurements and Assassinats and in Belgia by the Duke de Alva that was the Popes prime Instrument of Cruelty against the Protestants And therefore according to the judgment of the said Writers the Synod of Gappe in France that was held in Anno 1064. in the 31 Article of their Confession saith Cum vero Episcopus Romanus erecta sibi in orbe Christiano Monarchia sibi arroget Principatum in omnes Ecclesias Pastores usque adeo inflatus ut deum ipsum se appellet Can. satis Dist 96. lib. 1. Sacrar Cerem cap. de Benedic ensis velit adorari Concil Lateran ult Sess 1 3 9 10. Ipse sibi tribuat omnem potestatem in Coelo in Terra Res Ecclesiasticas ad libitum componat condat Articulos Fidei Authoritatem Scripturae velit pendere à sua eamque ad libitum interpretetur animarum mercaturam exerceat liberet adstrictos votis juramentis novos Dei cultus instituat quod ad civilia attinet legitimam Magistratuum authoritatem conculcet dans adimens transferens Regna credimus asserimus eum esse verum illum germanum Antichristum filium perditionis praedictum in Dei verbo Zachar. 11.16 17. 1 Joh. 4.3 Apoc. 13.2 c. Meretricem Purpuratam Apoc. 17.1 insidentem septem monitbus in magna civitate Apoc. 17.9 obtinentem Regnum in Reges terrae Apoc. 17.18 expectamus donec Deus prout promisit jam coepit eum fractum victum spiritu oris sui tandem deleat fulgore adventus sui 2 Thes 2.8 And this Article Tilenus analizeth Tilenus exegis pag. 45. Aphor. 165. and prosecuteth the same at large to prove the Pope to be as they say the great Antichrist And I will not at this time examine the truth and validity either of this proposition or assumption though I might very well deny them both as well the one as the other But I confess that these things which the Synod chargeth the Popes withal being true are transcendent sinnes and questionless the great enormities of the Roman Hierarchy and Papacy especially of the Court of Rome confronting the Kingdome of Christ and corrupting the true service of God do infallibly evince that the Pope is an Antichrist and the Church of Rome blemished with much Antichristianisme for every one that oppugneth Christ and opposeth himself against his Kingdome his Word and his Doctrine can be none other than an Antichrist and so was Simon Magus Elimas Menander Ebion Cerinthus and other Heriticks that
concluded and expressed in our 39 Articles to which all Ministers subscribed and this uniformity of Gods worship thus purged from all abuses errors and Superstitions and so perfectly composed by all those holy men for the honor and service of God was fully authorized by the Queen and all the Parliaments that were convened and held in her time to be observed without any omission or alteration in all Churches as you may see by the Act prefixed before the Book of common Prayer And afterwards it was continued and preserved by that wise and learned King K. James and above all and more strictly than all by that ever blessed King and glorious Martyr of Jesus Christ Charles the 1. that defended the true faith and this true form of serving God against all opposers both the superstitious Papists and the apostate Puritanes and Separatists even to the loss of his life And I presume all good Protestants will yield unto me and I am perswaded That the Church of Ingland in King Charles his raign was the purest Church on earth that the Pope and his Cardinalls if they would speak according to their consciences could not deny but that the Church of Ingland as it was purged from Idolatry and Superstition and established in such purity of Doctrine and excellency of Discipline in the raign of King Edward the 6th and especially in Queen Elisabeths time and so continued in the raign of King James and King Charles was the truest and the purest Church unless they did except their own Church that way-fared and was militant here on earth where the faith of Gods elect might infallibly be found the service of God was rightly observed and was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Temple the House and the Church which he hath purchased and wherein he dwelleth And So E. H. truly confesseth that amongst all the reformed Churches E. H. in his Preface to the Reader the Church of Ingland hath alwayes been esteemed the purest as being most conformable to primitive purity and the word of God both in Doctrine and Discipline B. Montague in apello Caesarem c. 5. p. 47 48. And this appears even from the pens of the heads of other reformed Churches as Bucer Melancthon Calvin Camerarius Beza Zanchius Molinaeus Casaubon Sergevil Saravia and others who many of them confess in plain words and all by consequence conclude that the Church of Ingland of any particular national Church in the world cometh nearest to the apostolick rule for though all the Churches that protested against the superstitious tenents and errors of the councill of Trent and the Church of Rome have borne the name of reformed Churches yet neither all nor any of them all are indeed well and perfectly reformed when as many of them are corrupt in many points of Doctrine as I could shew you amongst the Calvinists and especially the Lutheran Churches that maintain that foul error of the ubiquity of the humanity of Christ their consubstantiation of his body in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and their many mistakes about the communication of the Properties of both his natures as Danaeus sheweth most excellently against Chemnitius and most of them are deficient in the rule of primitive Government not any one of them indeed following the Apostles Discipline And the reason of their deficiency is The reason of the deficiency of the Reformation of the other reformed Churches because that in the French and German Churches and the Churches beyond the Seas the Reformers of them by reason of the innumerable number of their potent enemies and the civil broyles and diffentions that were then in those parts and especially the want of a King in Israel that is a supream Monarch in some of those places over the people which made way for every one of the vulgar sort to do as we read in the Book of Judges what seemed right in his own eyes Judges 21.25 were constrained to do what they might and not what they would have done what could be effected and not what they desired to be performed But the Church of Ingland not by popular or any one particular mans reformation as John Knox that furious puritane did in the Church of Scotland but by a national Synod of all the Bishops and best Divines called by the King and confirmed by the King Peers and Commons of the whole Kingdome reformed her self not as other Churches did tumultuarily but with a great deal of advice diligence and deliberation that so it might be effected as the Apostles left it as the sacred rule required and as it was premonstrated it should be performed and weeded from all the dross the tares and the darnells that should spring to choak the pure wheat And therefore seeing the Church of Ingland until these late times was the truest and the purest reformed Church on earth it is conceived and I do believe it that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great Antichrist should arise not out of Rome that hath corrupted many truths and superadded many errors and Superstitions upon the fundamentalls of our Religion and is as yet unreformed nor out of Constantinople which hath likewise apostatized from the true faith of Christ and doth still continue unreturned to Christ from their false Prophet nor out of Hierusalem as some men do most fondly dream but out of this Church this very Church of great Brittain For as heretofore Speed l. 6. cap. 45. Camden britan pag. 74. Euseb in vita Constant. Zechar. 10.11 this Iland of great Brittain brought forth Constantine the son of Helen the daughter of King Coylus which was the best instrument that ever the Church of Christ had to further and to honor the Christian Religion as Eusebius sheweth the same at large And as according to the Septuagint the Prophet saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath passed through the narrow sea with affliction and the pride of Assyria shall be brought down and the scepter of Aegypt shall depart away which may signifie that Christ hath first of all purged this Church that lyeth within the narrow seas and hath made the purest Reformation here that was made in any place by the afflictions and sufferings of the aforenamed Martyrs in Queen Maries dayes and hath thereby brought down the pride of the Pope and of the Roman Church that were then as powerfull as the Assyrians were when the Prophet wrote the same and hath driven away his usurpation and freed us from his tyranny as the Israelies were delivered from the bondage of the Aegyptians so the devil bearing an inveterate hate and infinite malice against this Iland more than against any other place The 2. special Reasons why the devil beareth a greater malice to this Iland more than to any other place for these two grand services that it did to God 1. The toleration of the Christians to profess their faith in peace and the Plantation of the Church of Christ to encrease
themselves to his meaning Genes 11.9 do interpret it but the great city of this world that is in all things agreeable to every particular thing that is spoken of this great Babylon for as that place and city was chiefly called Babylon that is confusion because as Moses sheweth God confounded the Languages of those grand rebells that endeavoured in that City 1 John 2.15 1 John 17.9 to scale the walls of Heavens and as it were to desie God himself so this world is just like unto the same the receptacle of all confusion and disorders and it is one of the three capital enemies of mankinde that we profess in our Baptisme to renounce and that we are charged not to love but still to fly from the baits and the deceipts thereof and John 5.19 for which our Saviour that prayed for his enemies which crucified him denieth his prayer saying I pray not for the world because God hateth all those that work wickedness and S. John saith the whole world all of it lieth in wickedness and will not be raised from it and besides God is the God of order and the whole world is out of order the very babel of all confusion The great Antichrist shall rise in such a place as shall be like Babylon when first it was called Babel Genes 11.79 and confusion is the mother that bringeth forth the Antichrist into the Church and it is the nurse that fostereth cherisheth upholdeth and protecteth him against Christ and against his Church But though the world in General is that great citie whith is meant Revel 17. and elsewhere in that book and wherein the great Antichrist will settle himself yet must he rise and spring in some place City or Kingdome of the world that is not as Rome or Constantinople a Babylon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 respectively but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 simply and transcendently like as the Chaldean Babylon was and in all things resembling her when first she was called Babel the City of Confusion and that was when all the Inhabitants thereof were without any settled just and lawfull Governors or Government among them but were as the children of Israel were in the later time of the Judges Judg. ult and Ver. ult when there was no King in Israel but every man did that which was right in his own eyes and so they did now in Babel they understood not one another they obeyed not one another but when the Master or Governor required one thing they did another and when they called for bricks they brought them straw and so forth And what Kingdome Rome not like Babylon when first it was called Babel City or Church is or hath been thus like Babel without any setled just and lawfull Government or Governors I will not determine but I am sure Rome hath her Governors and the Church of Rome her settled strict and well observed Orders and Lawes which none dares disobey nor do what is right in his own eyes nor preach what Doctrines he please unto the people But in what Kingdome City or Common-wealth soever we see no settled just and lawfull Government but the Governors like pegs driving out one another and settling first one kinde of Government then another of greater power cometh and changeth that Government then a third then a fourth and so forth and the Commonwealth standeth like a windmill upon the top of a hill that must turn with every winde and submit it self to every Government that is most prevalent and where you see the Church without Rulers without order and without Law but every Presbyter doth what he pleaseth and serveth God with what service his own fancy liketh best I believe that City Kingdom and Church doth in all things parallel the first Chaldean Babel and must be if any place be the very seat of the Antichrist and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 simply most eminently and transcendently a Babylon and the fittest place for the Antichrist to reside And so the Antichrist having learnt his lesson divide impera i.e. by confusion and division and setting the Father against the Son and the Daughter against the Mother the subject against his King and the King against the subject the people against their Pastors and their Pastors against the people and so of all the rest he will settle and inthrone himself in that imperial seat of his rule and authority where there is most confusion and where there is no settled just and lawfull Government and this is that Babylon thus mystically expressed by the Holy Ghost and thus clearly explained unto you where the Antichrist shall rule and reign and rage over Gods people even in that place of the world and in that street of this Great City where there is most division and confusion both in the Church and Commonwealth this confusion being his chiefest consolation and the furtherance of his progression and which as the Poet saith Turbabit faedera mundi will soon bring the world out of order and to be ruled as he listeth And now the question is demanded Whether in any other place of all the world you can finde more divisions and confusions and a more unstable unjust and unsettled Government both in Church and Commonwealth then you may finde in these Churches and Common wealths and formerly the Kingdomes of Ingland Scotland and Ireland for though that in this Babylon this place that is so full of disorders and confusion Where discord reigns in realm or town The wicked win the chief renown Plutarchus in vita Niceas pag. 547. you may finde many zealous and religious men that do fear God and mourn for the sin of the Antichrist and abhor all his wicked wayes yet it is demanded if ever there were more faction in Hierusalem in the time of their last siege more Sects in Amsterdam more malice in Rome in the time of the proscription or more corruption in the time of the Pope and more division among the Reubenites and confusion in great Babylon in the land of Shinar than may be found now in this relapsed Church and among the people of these Dominions And for the diversity of Sects multiplicity of opinions and the manifold confusions in the Church it is demanded if the errors and heresies of the Sectaries Presbyters Independents and lay-Preachers are not only published printed and permitted but also cathedrally and autoritatively if not maintained yet countenanced or connived at at the least And if here in the field of Gods Church and out of this Babylonish chair you may not finde any error or heresie that hath been formerly invented and broached by the grand Hereticks and confuted by the Fathers of the Church now again in some place or other and by some Sect or other resuscitated and refined unto the people and whether you may not uncontroulably choose any Religion and be of any Sect either Antinomian Anabaptist Arian Aerian Brownist Barrowist Dipper The manifold
divisions corruptions and confusions that are now conceived to be in the Churches of these Dominions Donatist Cradokist Cerinthian Catharist Ebyonist Eutychian Familist Gnostick Hugonite Hussite Jesuit Libertine Lollard Marcionist Manichean Montanist Millenary Nestorian Nicholaitan Origenist Petagian Puritan Quaker Ranter Sadduce Socinian Seeker Tritheist Valentinian Winterist or if you will Atheist or Adamite or Independant From all these and from all other Seâ—â—â—â—d or new and have liberty of Conscience to profess and be of what Sect you 〈…〉 so you profess to believe in Jesus Christ as all the very worst hereticks did and 〈◊〉 and so you take the Oath of abjuration and renounce popery and 〈◊〉 which are the only men as I see that although they do believe in Jesus Christ as well if not better than any of the foresaid Hereticks are excluded from this benefit and excepted from this liberty of conscience to serve God as seemeth good in every mans eyes And though all these Sects differ one from another and are in confusion The common and joynt practise of all the Sectaries and execrating one another yet all of them do agree to dissociate themselves from the true Professors of the primitive Christianity to tear the Apocriphal Books out of our Bibles to cast away the service Book and to cashier the Articles of our Church and the Book of Homilies they are no Saints if they do not this But for the resolution of the foresaid Questions though I could say much therein Yet I will only refer the same to what you may read in a little Treatise intituled Hell broke loose that so as it seemeth the Antichrist might come forth out of the bottomless pit as S. John saith he should do and to a book of Mr. Edwards intituled Gangraena which is set out at large and three times printed where you may finde very orderly and methodically set down such a ferrago and hodg-podg of Heresies and such a multitude of most horrible blasphemies so odious and so hideous Mr. Alexander Ross in his animadversions upon Mr. Hobbes his Leviathan sheweth how the Leviathan blasphemeth 1. God 1 Errour that my hairs do stand and my heart doth tremble at the thought of them and my soul is very much afraid to name them least thereby the Devil should intice some wicked men that as yet know them not to embrace them and likewise to another book of Mr. Alexander Ross against Mr. Hobbs his Leviathan which Mr. Ross saith is like that beast in the Revelation cap. 13. and that is the Antichrist which opened his mouth into blasphemy against God and his Tabernacle and against them that dwell in Heaven 1. Against God himself and that many waies as specially 1. In saying that God made the world by nature and so by consequence of necessity according to the course of nature whereas indeed he did it voluntarily and freely and might have chosen whether he would have created any thing or nothing for he being liberrimum agens a most free and no waies necessitate agent whatsoever pleased the Lord that did he in heaven and in earth and in the Sea and in all deep places saith the Prophet Errour 2 2. In making the Three Persons of the Trinity the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost to be rather Names than Substances which is contrary to our very Creeds and the Faith that we do profess Errour 3 3. In making Christ only to personate God the Son as if he were not so indeed but takes upon him only that Office Place and Title Whereas in very truth Christ by reason of the Hypostatical union of his Manhood to the Godhead is rightly said to be as he is the Son of God Errour 4 4. In making God with the Manichees to be the author of sin and so unjust if he punisheth us for doing that whereof himself is the author when as the Scriptures tell us plainly he hateth all those that work vanity vide Hab. 1.13 1 John 1.5 much more them that work wickedness and that he is of pure eyes neither shall any evil dwell in his sight he being that light in whom is no darkness at all and that perfect order in whom is no Ataxie or disorder at all Errour 5 5. In making God to be corporeal and a part of the Universe when as Christ tels us plainly God is a Spirit and the Scripture tels us so in many places 2. Against Gods Tabernacle that is his Church 2. The Tabernacle by labouring to overthrow her Faith her Knowledge her Miracles and her Ordinances 3. 3. The Angels and the blessed souls of the Saints Against them that dwell in Heaven that is the Angels and separated Souls of the Saints in making the one but Fancies and dreams that are indeed created substances of a pure spiritual being and the other mortal and not capable of any other happiness than what is earthly which is the greatest discouragement that can be to all Christians 1 Cor. 15.19 and would make them if this were true of all men the most miserable and would be the very poyson of all Piety and vertue And besides all this he saith that the said Hobbes in his Leviathan affirmeth that Faith is not by inspiration or infusion but 〈…〉 and industry that to believe in God is not to trust in Gods Person 〈…〉 confess the Doctrine of the Scripture that our Belief is in the Church The manifold errours heresies and blasphemies that Ross collecteth out of the Leviathan that they â—â—e not Devils but mad men that confessed Christ in the Gospel that Covetousness Ambition and Injustice with Power able to uphold them are honourable that wicked Tyrants and good Princes are all one and no such difference betwixt them that a man may sin against his Conscience that is do the things which his own Conscience tels him he should not do that men should not render a reason or an account of their Faith that Kings and Princes are not subject to their own Lawes that private men have no propriety in their own Goods that our natural reason is the Word of God that divine dreams cannot win our Belief that it was but a wind and not the holy Spirit of God that moved on the waters in the Creation Gen. 1.2 that the Dove which lighted on Christ in his Baptisme and the fiery Tongues which sate upon the Apostles in the day of Pentecost may be called Angels that Christ hath no spiritual Kingdom here upon earth that Christ did not cast out Devils Mat. 3.16 Acts 2.3 but only cured Madness that Satan did not enter into Judas that we may dissemble in matters of Religion and that we may disobey both Christ and his Apostles without sin Such Job 41.20 and much more like stuffe and smoak saith Ross doth this Leviathan send out of his Nostrils as out of a boyling Cauldron and herein contrary to all truth and without shame he raked up the
Christ which was the true substance and to be understood in and by those shadows and so for the Antichrist I sind no Prophesie concerning him in all the Book of Daniel but as he is typified in the person of Antiochus Epiphanes and you know that as Theologia Symbolica non est argumentativa symbolick divinity will not hold argument so types and figures non currunt quatuor pedibus do not hold correspondency in all things but only in such particulars whereunto they are applied and therein you shall find how the Antichrist is typified and declared unto us in the person and by the doings of Antiochus For The Prophet Daniel describing the four Beasts Dan. 7. that typified and signified the four great Monarchies of the world the Assyrian the Persian the Graecian and the Roman and the little horn that sprang up among the other ten horns saith the 10 horns are interpreted by the Holy Ghost to be ten Kings that is saith Tremellius 1. The 10 horns in Dan. 7. who they are Seleucus Nicanor 2. Antiochus Soter 3. Antiochus Theos 4. Seleucus Callinichus 5. Callinicus being expelled Ptolomeus Evergetes 6. Ptolomeus expelled Seleucus Ceraunus 7. Antiochus magnus that was surnamed Hyerax the Hawk for his speedy expedition of the greatest affairs and was the Father of Seleucus Philopater and of Antiochus Epiphanes 8. This Antiochus magnus being ejected Ptolomaeus Philopater 9. This Ptolomaeus Philopater being ejected by Antiochus magnus and his Sons Seleucus Philopater 10. This Seleucus being killed Antiochus Epiphanes that was the little horn that sprang up among the ten horns and was not another horn besides the ten horns but cornu ultimum the last of the ten horns and was at his first beginning but a very little horn indeed that had no right at all unto the Kingdom and is the most lively type of the Antichrist that is to be found in all the Scriptures both in respect of his entrance into his Dominion and of his dealings with the Jewish Church just as the Antichrist should enter into his rule and deal with the Church of the Christians And the Prophet tels us of this Antiochus and under his person of the Antichrist That 1. 1. The things that Daniel saith Antiochus should do As you see how he comes to his power and dominion by the suppression and destruction of others the lawful Kings so should the Antichrist do and we know many of the Popes came to that dignity and authority by the ejection and destruction of other Popes as the Histories do sufficiently declare unto us but whether the Long Parliament came to their rule and dominion by the expulsion and destruction of their lawful King I leave it for my Reader to judge And 2. 2. An opposer of Monarchy and very successful Dan. 7.24 The Prophet tels us that Antiochus shall be diverse from the first Kings that is as some Interpreters do expound it he shall be a grand enemy of regal Government and Kingly Majesty so will the Antichrist ex diametro contradict and oppose the Monarchical Government which the Pope never did but upholdeth the same to the uttermost and you know who turned the Regal Government of these Kingdoms to a Commonwealth or as Montanus reads that place ipse erit major prioribus he shall be greater than the former Kings that is in his successes in his victories in his reveâ—ues in his taxes in his absolute authoritie and in his esteem among his Neighbour-Kings and Princes so was Antiochus so the Antichrist will be So is not the Pope when as many former Popes were greater than this is in all the foresaid respects but whether the Long Parliament laid greater taxes upon the people and had more victories and better successes in their proceedings than many other former Kings 3. An overthrower of three Kings or Kingdoms let them be their own Judges 3. The Prophet saith this little horn that is this Antiochus Epiphanes tres reges humiliabit shall bring to the ground or humble three Kings as Montanus reads it Or tres reges deprimet he shall depress and overthrow or subdue three Kings as Tremellius translates it For he drave out of Syria 1. Ptolomaeus Philopater 2. His own eldest Brother Seleucus And 3. Demetrius the Son of Seleucus to whom the right of the Kingdom did appertain So the Antichrist shall overthrow three Kings saith Cornelius a Lapide And I did not read that any of the Popes have done so yet but I know who is said to have suppressed tres reges in uno rege and to have subdued three Kingdoms as some do expound these words and may well be the mystical meaning of this Prophesie 4. A great blasphemer 4. The Prophet goeth on and saith he shall speak great words against the most High that is saith Tremellius blasphemus erit in Deum he shall utter such blasphemies against the most high God as the Jews could not endure to hear them So the Antichrist should do saith the Evangelist Rev. 13.6 And so no doubt but many Popes have done Rev. 13.6 I will excuse none of them and I have shewed to you before and shall yet shew to you hereafter what intollerable blasphemies have been broached and are published in many places by the Sectaries adherents and off-spring of that Long Parliament which may therefore very well go hand in hand with Antiochus and with the Antichrist whosoever he be 5. 5. A destroyer of the Saints and Servants of God 2 Maâ—h 7. The Prophet saith that this Antiochus Sanctos excelsorum deteret as Tremellius reads it i.e. saith he contumeliosissimus atrocissimus Tyrannus erit in populum Dei he shall be the bitterest and the cruellest Tyrant that ever was far worse than Pharaoh against the people of God And so the Books of the Maccabees and especially the cruel butchering and torturing of the Mother and her seven Children only because they would not eat swines flesh which the Law of God forbad them to do do sufficiently declare that neither the Aegyptian Pharaoh Dan. 7.25 nor the Chaldean Nebuchadnezzar nor any other forreign or domestick enemy was ever so bloody and so cruel unto the Jews as this Assyrian Antiochus was and our Bibles read it he shall wear out the Saints of the most High and so the Antichrist shall do And our Histories tell us the Popes have worn out and been the death and destruction of many of the Servants of God this cannot be denied and it grieves me much to think and it would grieve me much more to set down a Catalogue of what and how many worthy noble and faithful Servants of Christ have been worn out of these three Kingdoms within these few years 6. A changer of the Lawes and of the times by whom and by what meanes you know And I fear that when God maketh inquisition for bloud the Long Parliament will not be found guiltless 6. The Holy Ghost
informed Daniel that the little Horn which at the first was but little indeed and then did succrescere grow so great by the suppression of the three Kings and the accession of three Kingdomes should think to change the times and the Lawes and so we finde that Antiochus did use all possible endeavours to abolish the times of the Jewish Sabbaths and feasts and their circumcision legem ipsam Dei juâ—áque omnia nefariè convellere and to overthrow the very law of God and tear in pieces all humane rights most wickedly saith Tremelius Tremel in loc and so the Antichrist would indeavour to do the like to put down all the festival times and the holy dayes of the Christians and to change all the Lawes and Customes that they had learned and observed even from the Apostles time And I am sure the Pope is not guilty of this sin of the Antichrist for he is so far from putting down their feasts and holy dayes See the History of Independency and there you shall finde how the Author of that Book sheweâ—â— how that long Parliament proceeded contrary to all Lawes part 3. A Book fit for the understanding of this point that he multiplied the same added unto their primitive feasts a great many more holidaies than were needfull or indeed fitting to be observed But I pray you tell me what horn did ever change so many Laws and Customs both of the Church and of the Kingdome as the long Parliament hath done for hath it not troden under foot not one nor two but all the ecclesiastical Laws and Canons of the Church and hath it not very often transgressed and in many things nullified our Magna Charta the great Charter and the fundamental Laws of this Kingdome that for so many hundred years were confirmed to our forefathers and Predecessors by I know not how many Parliaments I am sure above 30 at least And for the times I would fain know if any good Christian heart can look upon these times without bleeding or hold his eyes without weeping for the greatest love and favour that ever God shewed to mankinde was the giving of his own natural coessential and coeternal Son to be made of a woman and made under the Law to redeem us from the curse of the Law and from sin death hell and Satan when a greater good than this the omnipotent God himself could not do for us for what could God give better than God himself but as the Apostle saith because God could swear by no greater he sware by himself so when he could give no better he gave himself Heb. 6.13 and therefore S. Ambrose saith plus Domine Jesu debeo tuis incuriis quod sum redemptus quam tuis operibus quod sum creatus O sweet Jesus Christ I ow thee more love and thanks and service for thy care and pains and sufferings by which I am redeemed than for thy work whereby I was created because that in my creation dedit me mihi deus God gave me unto my self but in my Redemption dedit se mihi deus The greatest good that ever God did for mankinde God gave himself unto me and because in the creation of me and all things else dixit facta sunt he did but speak the word and they were made he commanded and they stood fast but in the accomplishment of our Redemption multa dixit magna fecit dira tulit he spake many gracious words he did many wonderfull works and he suffered many execrable and intolerable things Therefore as God commanded the Israelites Why the Jews were commanded by God to keep their Feasts in remembrance of their deliverance out of Epypt That was but the type of this our deliverance from the bondage of sin and Satan to keep the feast of Passeover and in remembrance of the reception of the Law on Mount Sinai which was an inferiour favour and lesse than our receiving of the Gospel to observe the feast of Pentecost and in remembrance of their wandering 40 years in the wilderness and their feeding there all that while with the Manna that came down from heaven which notwithstanding is no waies comparable to our feeding with the Word of God and the blessed Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ which is God himself to keep the feast of tabernacles and whosoever neglected to keep these feasts and to observe these times that soul should be cut off from Israel that is from among the people of God as an ungratefull person unworthy of the favour of God And as Mardocheus and Queen Hester commandeth all the Jews to keep the feast of Purim that was to be kept upon the 14 and 15 dayes of the Month Adar which is answerable to our February Hest 9.23 24. throughout all their generations for ever for dayes of rejoycing and Thanks-giving for their deliverance from the malicious plot and wicked designe of proud Haman the which feast was observed by Christ himself John 10.22 The Geneva notes on John 10. 22. and as in like manner Judas Machabaeus injoyned the feast of dedication to be observed upon the 25th day of the Moneth Casteu which is our November for a thankfull remembrance of the like benefit which was the casting out of Antiochus his Garrison from Hierusalem so that the Apostles and their immediate Successors the Bishops and Fathers of the Church and all the other succeeding Governors of Gods people considering that the Jews temporal favours aforenamed were but types of our favours and shadowes of those substances that we have and so no wayes neer so comparable to the benefits that we receive by the birth circumcision resurrection and ascention of Christ and the gifts that is the Apostles the Teachers and Governors of Gods Church furnished with the gifts of the Holy Ghost that Christ sent unto them on the day of Pentecost 50 dayes after his ascention into heaven by which favours and great blessings we obtain a deliverance not from a small temporal bondage as that of the Israelites was under Pharaoh far less then the bondage of many good Christians in these dayes under the Turk or from such an enemy as was Haman or Antiochus but from sin death hell Satan and eternal damnation have in their own persons observed and injoyned all other Christians to observe That is Christmas New years day Easter day Holy thursday Whitsunday and the rest the feast of Christs Nativity and of his circumcision resurrection and ascention and the other dayes prescribed by them as dayes of rejoycing and meeting together in the Church to praise God and to thank him for those great and inestimable favours and benefits that he hath conferred upon us and we received as upon those dayes and I may demand What Pope was ever so wicked and committed such and so horrible a sin as to prophane these holy times in so high a measure as Antiochus-like to command them to be prophaned
proved himself to be a hypocritical Traytor to betray his King and his Master Christ which is the head of the Church and so is the Antichrist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Devil for betraying his King and the Church which is the Body of Christ and so our Saviour saith unto Peter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John 6.70 get thee behind me Satan And why Satan but because he was herein 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that cometh of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contra against and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 jaccre to throw and it signifieth a gainsayer a hinderer an opposer that would not have Christ to do the service of God and the work for the which he came into the world though Peter pretended thus contra-jacere to cross Christ out of his love to Christ and so the best Criticks tell us that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat adversarium quovis modo alteri oppositum signifieth an adversary and him that opposeth another any manner of way And Aristotle saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 opponi unum alteri dicitur quadrifariam Arist in Categ one may be said to oppose another four manner of waies And the Antichrist saith Maresius not once through errour Maresius Let the reader judge whether this be fulfilled in the Long Parliament A true saying of Beza like Peter sed perpetuò destinatoque consilio Deum oppugnat ut Satanas but perpetually and of set purpose opposeth God like Satan and doth especially contra-jacere throw against rebel and oppose his King and his Pastor his civil and his spiritual Governours and therefore is he rightly termed Satan or qui adversatur or adversarius est he that is an adversary and that not only against man but liâ—ewise against God because as Beza saith hujus ordinis deus est author ut qui sunt rebelles sciant sese cum Deo ipso bellum gerere God is the author and the approver of regal power and so likewise of our spiritual Governours that they which rebel and op ose their King or their Pastors might know that they wage war and set themselves like Satan as adversaries against God himself though they should pretend with S. 2. An exalter of himself above his King and above his Pastor Peter to do it out of their love to God 2. As the man of sin is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an adversary to set himself against and to oppose his King and Pastors the chief Rule 's and Governours of the people and Gods Church and to make war with these witnesses of Christ and the upholders of his truth and his Gospel and to overcome them and to kill hem so having vanquished and subdued them he then becomes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 selfe efferens a lifter up and an exalter of himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 supraomnem above all men or every man as the Syriack Interpreter reads it The Pope or Turk cannot be here meant and why or above every one or as some Greek Copies have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 above every thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—hat is called God So that this doth sufficiently shew how that before his exaltation and his lifting up he was an Inferiour and a Subject therefore neiâ—her the Pope nor the Turk because they are inferiour and subject to none that they should lift themselves above them but this man of sin having now made war with these Witnesses that were his Governors and Superiours and having subdued them he exalteth himself above them and will be a Subject to them no longer 1. An exalter of himself above his King nor be ruled by any of them any more For 1. He will exalt himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 above every thing or every one that is called god and that is above his King For you must not think that this man of sin is so void of reason as to think that he can exalt himself above the eternal and omnipotent God For who can lift up himself above the Almighty God or challenge to be worshipped as that God But the meaning is that he will exalt himself super deos nuncupativos Gorhan in loc non super eum qui deus est naturae proprietate not above him that is essentially the true God by the propriety of his nature but above all the nuncupative gods saith Gorhan And we find as he saith three sorts of these nuncupative gods That there are three sorts of nuncupative gods 1. Falsa nuncupatione by a false and unjust nomination as are all the Idols Images and the false gods of the Gentiles gods falsly called and unjustly termed gods when as indeed they were but Devils 2. Gratuita adoptione by a free grant and favour of God who said to those he honoured you are gods 3. Delegata potestate by a peculiar deputation and a special commission from God to some persons Exod. 7.1 c. 4.16 to be as gods unto others as where God saith unto Moses I have made thee Pharaohs god and to Aaron thou shalt be in stead of god And therefore to shew that he meaneth not that the Antichrist should fight against the God of Heaven and exalt himself above the Almighty God the Apostle addeth that he will exalt himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 above all that is called God or as Beza reads it Adversus quicquid dicitur Deus He lifteth up himself against whatsoever is said to be God for otherwise Antiochus that as Tremellius saith Daniel speaks of Chap. 11. v. 38. and is confest by all the best Interpreters to be the Type of the Antichrist Mr. Mede p. 94. is himself said to worship Maozim which Mr. Mede renders Mahuzzimos Deum roborum the God of Forces and that his God whom he worshipped Tremellius thinks to be Jupiter Olympus or as it may be the heathenish Mars the Gentiles God of War by whose aide and affistance he believed that he obtained all his Victories because this Maozim signifieth the God of Forces though I confess that under the name of Forces may be comprehended all that appertains unto the War as Men Money and Ammunition as well as the Victory And as Antiochus worshipped his God so the Antichrist saith Cornelius à Lapide Suum Daemonem colet will pretend to worship the Almighty God but will exalt himself above all those that are called Gods And who are they that are chiefly called Gods but the supreme Magistrate or the prime Governour of any Kingdom or Commonwealth He that is appointed by God to have the rule and power over all the rest For so God saith unto Moses Exod. 7.1 I have made thee a God unto Pharaoh that is I have made thee higher and greater than Pharaoh by giving thee power and authority as a Judge to condemn him and as a God to punish and to chastise him and unto Aaron thou shalt be instead of God Chap. 4.16 that is to direct him in his Office of High
this Ecclesia sticall Witnesse and the Key that shutteth the Gate and the Windows of Heaven that the rain of grace and the comforts and consolations of Gods word cannot fall on such a person so long as he continueth in that excommunicate condition And as God hath given unto Moses power by his Rod to turn the Rivers and all the waters of Egypt into blood and to bring all the other Plagues that were brought upon Pharaoh and upon all the Land of Egypt The extent of the power of the witnesses for their obstinate refusall to let Israel go to serve the Lord So he hath given unto his Kings a power and a Sword that is signified by Moses his Rod to punish and to draw blood even the hearts blood of such wicked offendors as will be like Pharaoh rebellious and obstinate against the Commandements of God And herein you may observe the extent of their power which he granted unto them that is to smite the Earth but not the Heaven with all Plagues and that is to punish the earthly and worldly minded men that are wicked and do follow after the vanities impieties and iniquities of this sinful life but not the godly men whose conversation is in Heaven and which are obedient to the Lawes of God and man with fines mulcts imprisonments banishments and death it self for if they smite the Heaven that is the righteous and the innocent with any of these Plagues that power is not given them from God but from the Dragon that is the Devill gives it them Revel 13 2. as the Apostle sheweth And so you see the powers and the abilities that God hath given to these his two witnesses the King and the Bishop the Civill and the Ecclesiasticall Governours of his People the one exercising his power in the Church with the word of his mouth and the other in the Commonwealth with the Sword in his hand And for the time The time that the two Witnesses shall continue to prophesie c. 11. v. 3. Fran. Jun. in loc Ezek. 4.6 Dan. 9.24 Numb 14. v. 34. Mat. 3.2 Luc. 3.3 that these two Witnesses shall quietly and peaceably execute their Offices and Prophesie that is discharge their Duties to govern the Commonwealth and to build up the Church of Christ the Angell saith it shall be 1200 and 60 dayes cloathed in Sackcloath and that is as Junius here and divers others do rightly take a day for a year 1200 and 60 yeares as they do collect out of Ezekiel and Daniel and other places of Scripture where under the number of so many dayes as are expressed so many years are to be understood And so we find that with the favour and under the protection of Christian Emperors and Godly Kings the Orthodox Bishops and true Pastors and Preachers of the Gospel of Christ did freely without fear publish the Doctrine of faith and repentance which was the Doctrine of John Baptist and the Doctrine that Christ continued to preach and commanded his Apostles in like manner to preach the same unto the people and which I take to be signified by their Cloathing in Sackcloth in their so conforming themselves unto their Doctrine as John Baptist did Mat. 3.4 cloathing himself in a Garment of Camells hair and a girdle of Leather about his loines and not mourning for the pollution of the true Church which during the time of their Prophesie was not polluted as Mr. Mede and others do suppose but Mr. Mede part 2. p. 7 8. as I conceive much amiss that we should think the true Church was or that God would suffer his true Church to be so long polluted for the full space of 1200 and 60. years before the persecution of the Antichrist should begin or that his persecution should last so long And that is if you begin to account not as Junius would have it Junius in annotat in loc immediately after the passion of Christ because this power of free publishing the Doctrine of repentance was not yet given them while they were prohibited and persecuted from place to place for preaching the Gospel of Christ but it was given them after the end and determination of the ten former persecutions of the Church by the Heathen Tyrants and after the other storms and afflictions that were raised against them by the meanes and procurement of the Arian Hereticks and were as violently prosecuted by Constantius and other Arian Kings of the Gothes and Vandalls as the persecution of the Heathen Emperours as the life of Athanasius and the story of the Church doth sufficiently testifie when the Church was setled and established in peace and quietness and the governing Bishops freely permitted and royally protected by the Christian Kings and Emperours to preach the faith of Christ and to exhort their people to repentance from dead works yea and to injoyn the transgressors to repent in Sackcloth and to abhorre themselves and their former courses in dust and ashes And this was not The time when the two witnesses received their full power to prophesie about the year 382. till after the death of Valens which was about the year of Christ 382. When Theodosius had vanquished the Huns and the Gothes and the rest of those boysterous Northern enemies of the Empire that exceedingly troubled and brought infinite crosses and molestations not much inferiour if not some wayes worse then the Heathen persecutions upon the Church as you may easily find in those excellent Books of St. August de civitate Dei and others the Ecclesiasticall Writers of those times And from this suppression of those fierce and cruel enemies both of the Orthodox Church and the Roman Empire which was as I said about the year 382. to the beginning of the long Parliament we shall find about the summe of 1200. and 60 years When the time of their prophesying in Sackcloth was ended throughout all which time the true Orthodox Bishops the one of the two witnesses of Gods truth in all the Christian Kingdoms as Spain France Germany Ingland Scotland Ireland and the rest had full power and free liberty to preach the Doctrine of faith and to injoyn penance unto their people and they were not onely protected from the wrongs violence and malice of all their opposers About the year 1642. but they were also assisted to reduce all transgressors to repentance as above all other times in these Kingdoms that are best known unto us the happy Reign of Queen Elizabeth King James and King Charles can sufficiently justifie this truth unto you and the Christian Kings and Princes that were the other witness of Gods truth and the nursing Fathers of the Church were through the faithfull preaching of Gods word and the strict and godly Discipline of the Church most loyally obeyed and religiously observed as they ought to be in all the Christian Kingdoms and so both the witnesses by their mutuall helping and assisting one another were throughly strengthned
Mahomets daughter digested into four Books containing 206 Chapters when by Tarif and Mura his Generalls he conquered Spain and drove away Roderigo which was their last King of the Gothish blood and replenished that Kingdom with Moores and Mahometans yet persecuted he none for their Religion but onely sought to allure them to their superstitions and idolatrous service by giving Offices Sir Walter Rauleigh in the History of Mahomet pag. 103. and promising immunities liberties and promotions to those Christians that would be contented to imbrace Mahometisme And as our Saviour Christ and his Apostles never forced any man by fire and Sword to imbrace the Christian faith nor killed any one that refused the same because the true faith ought to be ingendered by perswasion and not by compulsion by preaching and not by fighting so Simon Magus that is made by some though faw wide Dr. Hammond in 2 Thes 2. to be the Antichrist spoken of by St. Paul in 2 Thes 2 3. and his Sect of Gnosticks never forced any that we read of to follow their idolatrous and Heathenish worship indeed Arius and all the rest of the Arch-Hereticks of his Sect sought to compell the Orthodox by force of Arms to leave the faith of one substance Lactan. l. 5. c. 14. and he citeth Flaccus that saith justum tenacem propositi virum non civium ardor prava jubentium non vultus instantis tyranni monte quatit solida and to become homoiousians that is similis essentiae the believers of Christ to be of the like substance with his Father and so to imbrace the Heresies that they invented as I have shewed you before for as Lactantius saith quis imponat mihi necessitatem vel credendi quod nolim vel quod velim non credendi who can compell me either to believe what I list not or not to believe what I will and he saith most truly that there is nothing more free then Religion which the minde no sooner withstandeth but forthwith it vanisheth and is no more Religion when as constraint bringeth in dissimulation and maketh Hypocrites to worship thy power but not thy God therefore King Theodoric did say very well that he could not command Religion because no man can be inforced to believe against his will and Justus Lipsius bids thee over run all Europe in thine imagination and thou shalt see that by these severe proceedings that is of fire and Sword Cities are rahter overthrowen Lipsius polit l. 4. c. 4. and I may add Kingdoms ruined then made religious because those things that do rest in opinion are altered rather by teaching then by commanding by instructing then by threatning and therefore as when we finde any discord in our instruments we do not in a rage break the strings but reduce them to concord by patience and leasure so should we do with them that dissent from us in matters of faith The Christian saith and true Religion not to be forced by fire and sword rather seek to convert them by brotherly perswasion then cut them off by an hostile compulsion and he citeth Cassiodore St. Bernard and St. Augustine to be of the same judgement and then concludeth that 4th Chapter of his 4th Book with unfaigned Prayers and sighes to God that men would endeavour to redress and amend their Brethren in the points of faith and Religion after such a course which indeed is the onely Christian course that is chalked out by Christ And yet The Parallel I would fain know if this last warre and our last persecution that was raised up by the long Parliament that is supposed by wise men to be this beast that is the Antichrist was not meerly for Religion pretended to have the Gospel truly preached and the service of God rightly and truly administred which was the incessant Song of the Instruments of that persecution but was it not indeed to suppress the true service of God Let my Reader judge whether it was so or not in the persecution raised by the long Parliament and under that fair pretence to destroy the purest nationall Church both for Doctrine and Discipline that was now extant upon the earth which is the treading of the holy City under foot c. 11.2 and was it not intended by the Dragon that used those his Instruments for this end and is not this most apparent both by the Covenant that was so eagerly pressed to be taken by all hands and by those that were so furiously pursued that refused it and also by the cause the cause that every one of those furious fighters cryed and redoubled their cry to be the cause that moved them to warre against the witnesses and to persecute all the true faithfull Christians let the whole Kingdom judge And therefore I do undoubtedly conclude I know how variously Authours differ about the beginning and ending of the 1000 years of Satans binding and it is too tedious to relate it and I set down what I conceive most probable saith the Reverend Authour of the Revelation unrevealed pag 451. that Satans 1000 years imprisonment began about 620. or 630. in the Reign of Heraclius and was determined and ended in or about 1620 or 1630. about 35. or 45. years agoe in the Reign of King Charles at which time Satan for our sins was by the just judgement of God loosened and set at liberty to whip and scourge us with new persecutions of fire and sword and all other their concomitant miseries and that not to bring us to any temporall or civill subjection as was the chiefest aym of the Turks against the Grecians but principally to drive us to renounce the truth of our Religion and to omit the duties of our profession and the service that we justly owe both to God and man to abandon the long received lyturgie of the Church that was weeded from all drosse and sealed with the blood of holy Martyrs and to imbrace a new invented Directory imposed upon us by some few retrograde impostors which is a persecution against conscience and so the greatest persecution in the world and far worse then the affliction that Pharaoh imposed upon the Israelites that being for his own worldly service and this to drive us from Gods service and the like whereof I remember not to have read executed in all the Turkish History nor could I find the like in all the time afore shewed in any place by any Tyrant since the Reign of Heraclius the successor of Phocas to these very dayes and so now Satan being set at liberty and as Edwards saith Hell broken loose he stands upon the Sands of the Sea to trample our Governours and Government under feet and then as I said before St. John seeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a beast arising out of the Sea And this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a diminutive word from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. The Vision of the first beast that signifieth
So it was blasphemie in the Caesars to be called divi dii aeterni as Prosper saith in dimid temp c 7. Nam aeterna cum dicitur quae temporalis est utique nomen est blasphemiae 2. Way Psal 50.18,19 20.21 James 2.7 that upon the heads of this Beast there were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the names of blasphemies for so it is in some Copies and it agreeth better with heads then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the name upon many heads now blasphemy may be committed two special wayes 1. When we assume unto our selves that Deity and Divine Honour and Right either of power or knowledge which is onely due to God as when Christ told the Jews that he was the Son of God that is his essential and coeternal Son otherwise we are all his sons by Creation and the elect by grace and adoption the Jews not knowing and not believing him to be so said that he blasphemed because that he being but a man as all other men were and no more as they thought assumed to himself the honour and title of God or else when we give and ascribe the divine honour to any other creature whatsoever as all idolaters do and therefore idolatry in the Scripture phrase is usually termed blasphemie as you may see Ezech. 20.27 and Isa 65.7 2. When we derogate from God that Deity and divine honour and right which is due and we do ow to ascribe unto God or do conceive and attribute unto him any unseemly act or thing whether words or deeds which do no wayes agree with the excellency and purity of his divine Majesty as when we do oppresse the poor consent with Thieves and be partakers with the adulterers and then think wickedly as all such Actors for the most part do that God is such an one as themselves or as Jupiter Apollo and the rest of the adulterous gods of the Gentiles were that hath no regard of these things as the Prophet speaketh these do blaspheme that worthy name by which they are called as Saint James testifieth And is not the long Parliament The parallel That the Parliament Sectaries are said to Blaspheme both wayes 1. Way or some of their adherents justly said to be guilty of Blasphemy both these wayes for 1. Did they not assume to themselves or at least their flatterers ascribe to them those attributes and Prerogatives that are only due and proper unto God as among others to break the powers of the earth in pieces to levell the Hills and to fill up the Vallies to bruise the Nations with a rod of Iron and to break them in pieces like a Potters Vessel as my self have heard one of their Sword Preachers and adherent to the Parliament Preaching the same unto the people and as he ascribed unto them this attribute of Gods power which they made use of reasonable well in these three Kingdomes so do they not arrogate to themselves that attribute of Knowledge 2. Tim. 2.19 which as the Apostle saith is only proper and peculiar unto God and that is to know qui sunt ejus who are his for I refer it to the judgment of the people if these mens Chaplains and Preachers take not upon them to discerne and discriminate the elect from the Reprobate And the Independants gathering of Churches is a sufficient proof hereof The History of Independency part 3. pag. 28. 2. Way and so accordingly do what Christ did not to Judas exclude them from Christ and from the Communion of Saints and being such to assure their followers that they may justly rob and kill these Reprobates at their own pleasure as men that have no right to the good things of this world but are unworthy to live upon the earth as the Author of the History of Independancy witnesseth and which is a most dangerous and destructive doctrine to all humane society and if the ground thereof be not extreame Blasphemy let any sober christian judge 2. For the other way as the Worshippers of this Beast Blasphemed so did not the adherents unto the Parliament commit more Blasphemies and more odious Blasphemies then I am able to express for our Saviour saith Whoscever speaketh a word against the Son of man it shall be forgiven him but unto him that Blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost Luc. 12.10 Math. 11.32 it shall not be forgiven neither in this World nor in the World to come saith St. Mathew and yet did not that Parliament and especially the independant party of the Parliament and the whole pack of their proselites with all reverence be it spoken by me make the Holy Ghost to be the pack-Horse to carry all their vile and wicked sins upon his back and the spirit of God doth exceedingly complaine against this lewd practice of such wicked men saying supra dorsum meum fabricaverunt peccatores Psal 129.3 The Plowers Plowed upon my back these sinners do not onely commit sin but they will also build up their sins and fasten them all upon my back as if I were the Author the mover and contriver of all their wickednesse and impieties for when they are pulling down and setting up new Doctrines and new disciplines and change their Faith and Religion as the Nomades do change their Cottages as they are led by the Lesbian rule of their own fancies which is the very square by which they interpret the Holy Scripture The Common Doctrine of the Independents as you may see in the History of Independency do they not usually alledge that the Spirit which Sanctifyeth and illuminates them bloweth when and where he will sometimes this way and sometimes that way and oftentimes contrary wayes and therefore that they can make no profession of any certaine rule of Doctrine or Discipline because they know not which way the spirit will inspire them and to justifie this their inconstancy and their continuall chopping and changing of their minds and resolutions they abuse that Text of Scripture where our Saviour saith to Nichodemus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the winde or Spirit bloweth where it listeth John 3.8 and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it commeth and whether it goeth So is every one that is borne of the Spirit as every one of them is without question in their own conceit and therefore when contrary to their Oaths Protestations and Covenant they beheaded and murdered the King saith the Author of Independency part 3. if he saith true did they not pretend that they could not resist the motions of the Spirit and so when they break their faith their Articles as they did I know with whom their promises their Declarations and their Covenant do they not avouch that the Spirit moves them to it which is most true if they understand it right of the spirit of darkness which they make to be the Spirit of God And I would faine know what greater Blasphemy then these if these things be true as men
to his Sonne if they had him what I know not and to swear and protest they did all that they did for the ease benefit and liberty of the Subjects and yet to inslave them to their own arbitrary wills and to lay such heavy loads upon them such yoaks of Iron upon their necks and such immeasurable Taxes upon all sorts of people as the like was never known in this Kingdom nor that ever I read in any of all our Chornicles and worse as I believe then what Rehoboam imposed on them that for his indiscretion did most undutifully rebel and revolt from him I know not how either all the dispensation of the Pope or all the addition of their abrogative to their legislative power that they claimed can salve the same from the grievous wound of apparant perjury and high blasphemy against the name of God done and done over and over a tribus ad centum I know not how many times and done alwayes as men conceived to this end not to blind God which I think they knew saw their thoughts and I am sure hated all these doings but to deceive the simple people that they might not perceive their intentions nor see their ends but that being vailed with these deceitfull impostures they might be drawn on by these religious cords to follow and to assist them as the people followed Absolon with a simple heart to work their pernitious ends And therefore I read of a wise man that said he did much wonder what wise man would pawn his soul upon these mens Consciences that as he avouched made no Conscience so frequently to break their own solemn Oaths or who but mad men would hazard their fortunes to maintain these mens cause that had neither cause nor reason for what they did I omit to set down their other blasphemies which were more secret in the Tenets of their faith against the truth of our Christian Religion because these are not so visible and yet are so many as would make a volume of themselves But let them be as secret as they will they may be sure Non te latuerit O supreme Jupiter horum malorum quisquis autor extitit that as the Heathen man could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Authours of such transcendent wickedness cannot hide themselves from the sight of the all-seeing God but their perjuries and blasphemies so often so secretly and so hypocritally done whensoever they do it are laid in store with God and sealed up amongst his Treasures and if they speedily do not repent they may speedily perish everlastingly and because these sins besides their other sins are so great and so many Deut. 32.24 their repentance must not be little nor slight but as St. Peter when he denied his Master though he killed him not went out and wept bitterly so must they have many bitter teares of most sorrowfull souls to wash away these fearfull sins which they committed to destroy their Master and so many of their Pastors and Brethren and for the sweet desire of bearing Rule if they desire to live for ever which I do heartily pray God to give them grace to do And so you see how the blasphemy of the Beast against God though no doubt but is applicable to the Turk and to the Pope yet by this that I have shewed you may be more agreeable to the long Parliament and rather meant here by the Holy Ghost to be applied to them then either to Pope or Turk as many men do conceive 2. 2. The blasphemy of the beast against Gods Tabernacle It is said that the Beast opened his mouth and truly he opened it very wide 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to blaspheme the Tabernacle of God i. e. saith Mr. Mede the humane nature of Christ but not right for though I deny not the humane nature of Christ to be the Tabernacle or the Temple of the God head John 2.19 1 Cor. 3.16 v. 17. Mr. Mede pag. 59. according as our Saviour saith distroy this Temple and I will raise it up in three dayes as are also the bodies of the Saints as St. Paul testifieth know you not that ye are the Temple of God and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you yet I do much marvel that Mr. Mede would have it so understood in this place onely to transfer this blasphemy to signifie the Idolatry of the Romanists in adoring the consecrated bread of the Eucharist as the humane nature of Christ when as the blasphemy of this Beast against God was spoken of before and the spirit of God would not so suddenly expresse idem per idem and therefore to blaspheme the Tabernacle of God here signifieth to blaspheme the place where God by his speciall grace and favour resideth and dwelleth to protect his Servants as it were under the shadow of his wings and to cherish them as the Hen cherisheth her Chickins which the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is derived of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 habito or commoror to dwell doth properly betoken for so by the Tabernacle of God in the old Testament is every where understood the Tabernacle that Moses reared in the Wilderness quod Josephus vocat templum portatile Josephus antiquitat l. 3 c. 5. aliquando Sanstuarium appellatur Godwin in Synop l. 1. Sect. 25. c. 2. untill the dayes of Solomon and after that Solomon built that glorious Temple in Hierusalem the same was the Tabernacle of God or Gods dwelling place amongst the Jewes and so it was alwayes deemed by all the Prophets and Servants of God under the old Testament and the materiall Churches that were edified dedicated and consecrated for the Christians to meet and to serve the Lord in them are as they were ever accounted by all the Fathers and Doctors of the Church the Tabernacles of God under the New Testament Yet I deny not but that by a metaphor the Tabernacle may sometimes signifie caetum Dei the company of Gods servants that meet together in Gods House Psal 84.1 to pray and to praise the Lord as where the Prophet saith quam dilecta sunt Tabernacula tua Domine O how amiable are thy dwellings thou Lord of Hosts for this was spoken before the Temple was built Considenti in latibulo excelsi saith Tremel by a Synechdoche it is sometimes taken for those that dwell in tents or Tabernacles as it is in Ps 91.1 and in Psal 92.12 but in neither of these wayes can it be taken here because these dwellers in Gods House are immediately set down in the next words and sometimes by a Catachresis it is used for any dwelling place as where the Prophet saith that God slew all the most principal in tabernaculis vel tentoriis Chami Psal 78.51 in the dwellings of Ham but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Tabernacle of God can signifie nothing else but the place Psal 26.8 which is set apart and consecrated for Gods
by opportunity of leisure and he that giveth his mind to the Law of the most high is occupied in the meditation thereof and will seek out the wisdom of all the ancient and be occupied in prophesies he will keep the sayings of the renowned men and where subtle parables are he will be there also he will seek out the secrets of grave sentences and be conversant in dark parables But how can he get wisdom that holdeth the plow and that glorieth in the goad that driveth oxen and is occupied in their labours and whose talk is of bullocks for he giveth his minde to make furrowes and is diligent to give the kine fodder so every carpenter and workmaster that laboureth night and day and they that cut and grave seales and are diligent to make great variety the smith also sitting by the anvill and confidering the iron work setteth his mind to finish it and watcheth to polish it perfectly and so the potter sitting at his work turneth the wheele about with his feete and fashioneth the clay with his arme and is diligent to make clean the furnace And all these and all others the like Tradsemen that trust to their hands shall not be sought for in Publick Counsell nor sit on the Judges Seat Ecclesiast 38. and 24. Vsque ad 34. fin cap. for they cannot understand the Sentence of judgement nor declare what is justice and therefore they shall not be found where parables are spoken saith the wise son of Syrach And if such lay men and tradesmen cannot understand justice and judgement in Civill matters nor find out the sayings aphorismes and parables of men how shall they be able to search out the deep things of God and to understand the Mysteries of the Holy Scriptures for 2. It is not an easie matter and of small labour and without learning 2. Because the Scaipture is full of obscurity and very hard to be understood to explaine the Scriptures to reconcile different Texts and seeming contradictions and to unfold the sence and mysticall meaning of the Holy Ghost as you may find by what the Apostles say in 1 Tim. 3.16 Heb. 5.11 and 2 Pet. 3.16 how difficult and hard a matter it is to expound the Great Mysteries of Godliness and how by reason of that difficulty the unlearned and unstable do wrest them to their own destruction for you may observe that although Christ taught the people in the plain yet he taught his Disciples in the Mount Luke 6.17 Matth. 5.1 Luke 5.3 4. and while the people stood on the shore he bids his Apostles to launch forth into the deepe to shew unto us that as Origen saith the Scripture consisteth of an outward barke which is soft and tender and may easily be plained and of an inward substance which is hard and tough and cannot so easily be squared or as S. Gregory saith that the Doctrine of Christ and the Mysteries of the Holy Scriptures are like the Ocean sea where a lamb may wade by the shore where the people stood and the Elephant may swimm in the deep where the Apostles launched forth to Teach us this Truth Many things in Scripture easie to be understood as the heads 1. To be done 2. To be believed that the meanest capacity the vulgar and lay people may understand out of the Scriptures what they should do as to fear God to Honour their Parents to obey the Magistrates not to kill not to commit adultery not to steal and the like and the chiefe necessary Heads of their Christian Faith as to believe in Jesus Christ that thorough him they shall have remission of their sins and Eternall life and that this truth is Sealed unto them by the blessed Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords Supper and yet the strongest Head the greatest Wit and most exquisite Schollers may find there such depth as cannot easily be dived into but will soon swallow them up and like the Sun in his full strength dazle and confound their fight The reasons of the difficulty to explain and to understand the Scriptures 1. The diversity of Languages if they be not very carefull to go the right way and take great paines and earnestly pray to God for his helpe to understand the same And the reason of this difficulty to explain and to unfold the Scripture is manifold as 1. The diversity of Languages wherein the same was written and the great affinity of the Hebrew with the Syriac and the Chaldick tongue with the very many equivocall words of the Hebrew Language which made the Jewes themselves many times to mistake the meaning thereof as 1. When Christ said destroy this Temple John 2.19 Marck 14.58 and in three dayes I will raise it up they thought he spake it of the materiall Temple when he meant the Temple of his body and the same word signified both the one and the other 2. When he told his Disciples Matth. 19.24 Luke 19.25 it was easier for a Cammell to go thorough the eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven and this was a proverbiall speech among the Jewes when they spoke of any hard and unlikely thing to be done it was easier for a Cammell to go thorough the eye of a needle as Caninius observeth out of their Talmud and yet most men and many good interpreters and of no small learning have understood the word of that great and large fiz'd foure-footed beast called a Cammell whereas the word indeed quo hic utitur paraphrastes funem anchoratum significat which the Paraphrast saith our Saviour used signifieth a Cable rope which being untwifted may easily pass thorough an needles eye and so may the rich man enter into the Kingdom of Heaven if he disperseth his wealth and give them to the poore though as our Saviour saith it is easier for us to untwist the Cable rope then to perswade the rich men to part with their goods and give them to the poore or to any pious uses 3. When he cried out Math. 27.46 Eloe Eloe Lamasabacthany the Jewes said he calleth for Elias when as the words fignified My God My God why hast thou forsaken me 4. When John 20.16 after the resurrection of Christ Mary turned her selfe towards him and said Rabboli which is Master Tremelius saith that in this word either the letter Lamed is put for Nun and so Rabboli for Rabboni or else it is a composition of the Noune with the Pronoune and Rabboli is put for rabbonli and it is not properly any Hebrew word but a Chaldaic and Syriac and it is said to be an Hebrew word quia tunc temporis Syriaca lingua hebraeis esset vulgaris because that the Syriac Tongue was then common amongst the Jewes when they had lost the use of their own Tongue in their Captivity and had learned in that space of seventy yeares the Idiomes and the phrases of the Conquerors and the
but not right beause his Highness the Lord Protector gave life and being to that pettyte Parliament but the false prophet the assemblie at Westminster and their disciples gave life and breath to the other the long Parliament and to their impieties which were but the very image of this false prophet which was the primum mobile the first author and the first wheel that moved all the rest to act and doe all the evill that hath been done in these Kingdomes and therefore as the teachers of all wickednesse are by our Saviours testimonie to be accounted the least that is none at all in the kingdome of heaven but the greatest and well deserving the greatest punishment in the place that is provided for them so are they if they pray not for grace to repent And yet notwithstanding all these transcendent impieties of these Presbyterians it is a wonder to me that the people should be so affected and so wedded to the new Presbyterian government that never yet attained to the age of some men The inconstancie of the people But as the people in the begining of the long Parliament were mad to have Monarchy rooted out of the world and to erect a Common-wealth and to have a state government yet when they had it they were soon wearie of it and were as mad and more mad to have it cashiered so though they be now mad after that Presbyterian government yet I doubt not but after they have it a while and felt the smart of it they will he soon weary of it and be as mad to have it changed for that at the last they shall perceive their own error and finde that those were the leaders and the Teachers of them that murdered our King destroyed the Bishops and did all the mischiefe that hath been perpetrated And will the People or Parliament as they have done most justly condemn the Actors that were but the schollers Remember whose auditors were the murderers of the King and not onely suffer the Teachers to go free but also magnifie them to be their Masters still or will they punish the poore hares for their trespass and gratifie the crafty Foxes for their wickedness for I beseech you tell me whose Schollars and whose Auditors were those King murderers the Bishops or the Presbyterians the whole Kingdom knoweth and the setting up of these Teachers may prove to be the setting forward of the like tragedy Verbum sapienti sat est But to proceed it is said in the same ver 15. that the image of the beast The first ten horned beast animated by the false prophet acteth two things 1. thing that is the first seven headed and ten horned beast having received life and breath by the meanes of the false Prophet the two horned beast whose image the the first beast was as I shewed unto you did presently act and work these two observable things 1. To speake and to make orders and ordinances that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as many as would not worship that is himselfe which was nothing else hut the very representation of the false prophet should be killed 2. To cause all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both small and great 2. Thing rich and poor free and bond to receive a marke or as the originall hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as some copies read it that he should give them a marke or marks in their right hand or wrist or arme Rhodiginus l. 5. c. 53. saith servants were branded in their foreheads soldiers in their hands Vege◠l. 2. c. 5. which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fignifieth all from the hand to the sholder and which aludeth to the custome of Syria and the neighbour countreys that used even as our own Countrey formerly did and yet sometimes doe to weare badges on their armes to demonstrate whose servants they were or in their foreheads as the Roman servants did and the Soldiers used to doe to signifie to what Master or Captaine they did belong and that no man might buy or sell save he that had the marke or the name of the beast or the number of his name for so Lipsius saith that they were branded in the hands and marked with the name of their their general or the Emperor Lipsius de milit rom l. dialog Revel f 14 1. that they served and so the followers of the Lambe as contrary to the followers of the beast are said to have his fathers name written in their foreheads which was likewise done to shew to whom they belonged that so by the sight of these marks and tokens they might buy and sell and have all the other priviledges and benefits that belonged to such servants De Sheld pag 15. Yet you must not thinke this marke of the beast to be a corporeall marke to be ingraven by incision or to be burnt by inustion as the fashion of men is to do with their cattell in the heads or upon the foreheads of the followers of the beast for to dream of such a marke were to contemn all learned antiquity and to fall into a laborinth of contrarieties absurdities and impossibilities but as the marks of Christ his flock and his fathers name written in their foreheads are not any reall marks by incision or inustion but the profession of his faith and obedience to his law with the acceptance of some godly Sacraments King James in his premotion haeg 111. and religious Ceremonies for the testifing of the same so the marke of the beast must be conceived to be metaphoricall as King James sheweth by some rite of profession and misticall by some rite of obedience and subjection unto the beast as that in the forehead must be some plain and publique act or thing whereby the authority and government of the beast is professed that in the hand must be likewise some mpious act or Ceremonie The paralel I onely demand if that the Parliament after it received life from the false Prophet acted not the foresaid things that the beast is said to doe 1. The first thing either accepted of in our hands or subscribed to under our hands whre by subjection and obedience to that beast is professed to be performed And here I would faine know if the long parliamtnt did not act and doe those two forenamed things that this image of the beast is said to have done and thereby to have imitated the Romans and Syrians in the main point and to have fulfilled this prediction of the doings of the beast to a hair For 1. Did they not speake and speake loud enough by their votes orders and ordinances that as many as would not worship them the image of the beast and the actors of all things according as the Presbyterian assembly out of Gods Word doe prescribe and approve of their doings i. e. contribute to their war submit unto their power and assist them against the King their goods should
that this beast should like the Giants of the former age that the Poets mention 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make war against Gost that is against the Honour Service and Servants of God and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pravus dux the Captain or Generall of the Beast and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the victor or Conqueror in the Wars of the beast do containe the same number of 666. and do meete at the same end and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and some other names have been observed by the diligent search into this Mystery to contain the number 666. and all these and the like to these may be very well said to cohere with that Parliament that hath acted whatsoever any of those names hath signified But though all these are very neere the marke yet they do not fully come home to the point because as Rupertus well observeth nomen quod Johannes hic insinuat non erit nomen antichristo ab adversariis impositum the name of the beast that St. John understandeth here shall not be any name that his adversaries shall give unto the Antichrist as are most of the aforesaid names but the name that the beast assumeth to himselfe and glorieth in it and requireth it to be ascribed unto him and used by all his subjects and adherents that is the name that is here meant by the Evangelist and therefore it is nomarvell that the name of the beast could not be known to any of the foresaid Authors before the beast assumed it to himselfe God giving notice of this name mystically under this number onely to be discerned that it might not be known and expressed untill the beast should be discovered which should be manifested unto the Saints when they see him called by that name that should containe the number of 666. For if God had plainly told us his name the beast would never have assumed it because all men should then have known who had been the Antichrist And therefore now let us examine what name the Parliament assumed to it selfe and whether that name containeth the just number of 666. The parailele and I told you before that the name and title which that Parliament challenged to be given unto it selfe is custodes nostrarum libertatum or as it was to be used in all writs and in all judiciall Cours The Keepers of the Liberties of Ingland The proper name affumed by the Parliament by the Authoritie of our Parliament This was the name and this was the Title and the Inscription which by a secret instinct of Gods Providence unaware unto themselves that Parliament took and appropriated as all men know unto themselves and this name both in Latin and in English doth make the full and just number of 666. for omitting the m. which is the number of perfection and eternity Haymo in Apoc l. 7. as Haymo and others do very rightly observe and which is usually omitted in our computes as I shewed to you before you shall finde the Arithmeticall letters of custodes nostrarum libertatum to be c. u. d. u. l. 1. u. which makes up just 666. Object But you will say it was custodes libertatis and you ad nostrarum so you make their name to fill up the number otherwise then they took it or that it was indeed Sol. I answer with the old rule that cannot be denied quod necessario subintelligitur Compare Mat. 4. 10. v. with Deut. 6.13 c. 10.12 â—0 c. 13.4 the word onely is not in any of them In the whole Triall of Mr. Live p. 2. 3. non deest as the word onely which our Saviour addeth to the texts of Moses when he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and him onely shalt thou serve which is not found in any Text of Moses sheweth that it must necessarily be understood in those Texts of Moses so I add nothing but what of necessity must be added and understood or we shall never understand what they meane because they meant not that they were the keepers patrones and defenders of any one particular liberty but of all the liberties of the Parliament and people And so their Atturney Generall every where termes them the Keepers of the Liberties of Ingland as you may see it in his Charge of High Treason against Mr. Love and it must not be thought they meant the Liberties of the French Italians Spaniards or of any other Nation but of us the Free-born Subjects and Natives of this Kingdom of Ingland But because they like not the Latin name though Latin be one of the three authentick Languages Lâ—desima de sacra Scriptura quavis passim lingua non legenda that we finde in Scripture as Ledesima sheweth but say it is not their speech but the Language of the beast whom they abhor Let us examine their name and title in their own native Language and that is The Keepers of the Liberties of Ingland by the Authoritie of our Parliment this is the name that they took and appropriated to themselves by an Act of Parliament and omitting in as I said before the numericall letters of this name are l. 1.1.1 l. d. u. 1.1 u. l. 1. which make up just 666. Object If you say that I add the word our to Parliament which they do not but by the Authority of Parliament Sol. I Answer as before that the word our must of necessity be understood because they mean not the Parliament of Paris nor any other Parliament as I take it but our Parliament of Ingland and therefore if you will understand their name right the word our must without question be added unto it And that very Long Parliament summoned by the Writ of the late King Charles the first is called Parliamentum nostrum ad tractandum nobiscum super arduis negotiis regni nostri our Parliament to Treat of the hard Affaires of our Kingdom therefore the word our ought and must be supplyed here unto the word Parliament as the word onely is added by our Saviour Christ to the words of Moses And Object Mar. 4.10 If again you Object that Ingland is more commonly written with an e then with i as rather England then Ingland Sol. I Answer that a common error or an erroneus custom doth not nullifie the truth of any thing nor doth it tie all men neither should it tie any man either to follow it or to justifie it but a single truth ought to be imbraced and followed before the most generall custome of mistaken truth when as we know that an error once received is often times so generally followed that it can very hardly be reclaimed and I say that the orthography and right writing of this word should be Ingland and not England and I refer this matter and the orthography of this word to be decided and adjudged by any judicicus and unpartiall Grammarians that are to write all wordes either according to the derivation of
that have crucified the Lords anointed that is their King and as I may say their Preist so that by the beheading of our King and of our Bishop you have one step to the discoverie of the Antichrist and a plain step it is so that none can step from it thus far he and this his stop I shewed you in the particular sin of the Antichrist more at large Whereby you may perceive that although I have undertaken to prosecute this discoverie at large and followed the same to the full yet others whereof I might produce many are of this opinion that they would have the christian world to judge Whether the long Parliament and their assemblie of instructors at Westminster and the rest of the Presbyterians and lay preachers that were the prime sticklers to have their King killed and their Bishop beheaded and all the rest suppressed that are the two witnesses spoken of in the 11 c. and 7. v. of the Revelation as we conceive be not the two beasts that St John sawe in the 13. c. of the Revelation and the great Antichrist that so long agoe was prophecied he should come into the world to slay the witnesses to persecute the Church of God and to overthrow the Governors and Government thereof And truely reserving mine own judgement to my selfe I have found many learned judicious and godly divines that have observed some one marke of the Antichrist and some another to be most properly belonging and in everie point agreeable and fixed to that pack and knot of the enemies of Christ that I spake of which for brevities sake my booke having swollen The recapitulation of the whole booke with the poison of these two Beasts too big already I must omit and leave you to consider what I have formerly demanded As 1. Whether that Parliament hath not opened the door of the grand apostafie and rebellion for the Antichrist to enter into the Church 2. Whether it hath not seated it selfe in that Babylon where the Antichrist should sit and dominere 3. Whether it hath not fulfilled all the prophecies of the old and new Testament that spake of the comming and of the doings of the Antichrist As 1. The prophesie of Zacharie touching the foolish and the idol Shepherd 2. The phophecie of Daniel touching the doings of Antiochus that was the lively type of the Antichrist 3. The prophesie of St. Paul of the man of the sin which is the proper and peculiar sin of the Antichrist 4. The prophecie of St. John that the Antichrist should denie Jesus to be the Christ that is suppresse both the regall and the priestly offices of Christ 5. The visions of St. John 1. touching the witnesses that the Antichrist should kill 2. The Church that he should persecute and 3. The two beasts that were as the body and the soul of the Antichrist 4. Whether it hath not taken upon it the name and especially the practice of Independants which is the sittest name and the properest work of the Antichrist to separate himselfe from Christ and from the Church of Christ 5. Whether it hath not exceedingly wronged and extreamly persecuted the Church of God and especially the Governors of the Church which is the infallible concomitant signe of the Antichrist 6 Whether it hath not shewed it self so grosse an bypocrite in all his acts and proceedings that none but the Antichrist could doe the same And when you have duely read and impartially weighed all these things that I have set before you as in a glass then judge your selfe whether the Presbyterians and the Parliament be not the great Antichrist or not CHAP VI. Four special Objections answered wherein the right use of all the foresaid discovery of the Beasts and the Antichrist is declared and the precedent Discourse more fully confirmed ANd if any man shall object The Author of the Revelatiou unrevealed in his preface 5 ob 1. Sol. and think it strange as a most reverend and learned Author whom I much honour seems to do that the blessed Apostle in Patmos overlooking all the vast Continent betwixt him and us should have his thoughts taken up with our petty Occurrences in this other side of the World which is not like to be I answer That seeing God out of all the World did such great things for the small Kingdom of Israel that in extent of Ground might scarce be compared to any one of these three Kingdoms the whole length of it from Dan to Beersheba being not above three hundred miles as S. Hierome witnesseth and seeing the Holy Ghost vouchsafeth to set down in this Revelation many particulars of Iess consequence and to fore-shew some things of far lower concernment then are those great things that have been acted by that Parliament as in the 2. c. and 3. c. the Sufferings of some particular Churches and of particular Cities as Ephesus Smyrna Pergamus Thyatyra Philadelphia Sardis and Laodicea and the murthering of some particular men as Antipas c. That it is not strange the spirit of God should foretell the things that were to happen in this Island 2.13 and the failing and remisness of some Churches in Gods Service which are of far lesser note and moment then the men that were martyred the Churches that were prophaned the Apostasie that hath hapned the Kingdoms that have been ruined and the horrible Impieties that have been committed here amongst us let no man wonder that the Spirit of God who is no respecter of persons nor oblivious of the meanest Countries should likewise foretel the sad Accidents and the like or more inexcusable Sufferings and Martyrdom Mat. 24 33. The right use of all the foresaid discoverie of the Antichrist to know that should fall upon the King and upon all the Bishops and very many faithful Pastors besides the multitude of Saints and godly Christians of three of the most famous and purest Protestant Kingdoms and Churches in the World that as our Saviour sayth of the like Predictions when we see them fulfilled we might understand and learn how to make a right use of them and that is 1. 1. From whence our afflictions come and why they are sont To know that these our Persecutions and Afflictions come not out of the dust nor by chance but by the Divine Providence of Almighty God that foresaw them and foretold us of them long before they came and hath sent them to us either as just Chastisements for our sins and remisness in his Service and performance of our duty or as tryals of our faith and constancy in our Profession and for an example unto others to imitate them that do patiently suffer or for so me other Causes best known to God himself 2. 2. To teach us more zealously to serve God To learn hereby to fear God and more zealously and carefully to serve him to pray unto him night and day to forgive us our forepassed sins both of commission and omission to give us
end why these sinfull murderers do thus kill those eminent persons expressed by our Saviour Christ in the Parable of the husbandmen that killed the Kings son that he being the heir and being killed the inheritance might be their own and they should rule and raign as Kings and have all for themselves that was their chiefest aim for they had learnt their Poetrie to make every Verse true that endeth with semper tibi proximus esto As Cum fueris faelix The covetous and ambitious mans Poetry semper tibi proximus esto Si fueris Romee semper tibi proximus esto Si fueris alibi semper tibi proximus esto Si tibi sint nati semper tibi proximus esto Si tibi sint nulli semper tibi proximus esto and the like So their hate their malice and their murder was not for the love of justice to have sin punished but for the love of themselves that they might have the pleasure and the profit for their iniquity And now having passed through these Particulars and seen the highest step and staff of this ladder of homicide and the worst degree or kinde of murder I say the sin of the Antichrist is like the sin of the Jews in the condemnation of Christ The sin of the Jews condemning Christ what it was which was an usurpation by Inferiors and Subjects as the Jews were to Christ of the highest Court and throne of justice and thence judicially and most unjustly to condemn to death and accordingly to kill and murder the most eminent person their superior placed over them by God to be their King to rule them their Priest and Prophet to pray for them and to instruct them and all this under the hypocriticall cloak and pretence of piety and Religion but indeed to this end that they might get the rule Government and Dominion into their own hands And I conceive the proper and peculiar sin of the Antichrist that the Apostle meaneth in this place The sin of the Antichrist like unto the sin of the Jews to be just like unto the same and never committed either by the Pope or Turk or any other single person whatsoever when it is to be done by a court and a collected multitude of men which therefore maketh the sin the more odious and abominable in the sight of God and of all good men And if in all Aquinas Summes or Antoninus his Titles or in all the Tomes of Abulensis or the mighty Comments of Cornelius à lapide or the painfull Works of Alstedius or the Summes of Vices by Peraldus or in and among all the beastly sinnes that Azorius in his moral Institutions setteth down or as the Prophet Jeremy saith Jerem. 2.10 Passe over to the Isles of Shittim and see send unto Kedar and consider diligently and see if there be such a thing or if you can finde in any Author divine or humane a sin more injurious to man and more odious and abominable in the sight of God than this thus committed by the Jews against Christ and by the Antichrist against the 2 witnesses of Christ then will I retract mine Assertion and submit my self to the correction of the Presbyterians for misinterpreting this place and mistaking this sin here meant by our Apostle But to justifie my Collection you may remember how angry the Lord was Numb 16.32 and how terribly he punished Corah Dathan and Abiram with such a punishment as the like is not found in all the book of God for despising their Superiors and Governors and refusing to yield obedience to Moses and Aaron in but giving spitefull and scandalous words unto them and saying when Moses called them we will not come up Numb 16.12 14. how angry then and what punishment think you would the Lord have inflicted on these rebellious Subjects if they had most wickedly and thus hypocritically as I now shewed you killed Moses and Aaron by a formal judiciary judgment of a whole Court of justice And to make it plain and evident that this man-killing is the notorious and proper peculiar sin of the Antichrist by which as by a plain and singular character he might be known to be the Antichrist when he came into the world the holy Ghost saith that when the two Witnesses of Christ the Supream Magistrate E. H. de Antic p. 76. and the chief Pastor of Gods people as some of the best Interpreters say have finished their testimony that is according to the time determined by God the Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit that is the Antichrist as all Interpreters do confess shall make war against them Revel 11.7 and shall overcome them and kill them that is in manner and form as I shewed to you before because no other kind of killing them The sin of Antichrist proved to be the foresaid sin of man-killing could have been so odious and so abominable in the sight of God And the Apostle here in 2 Thes 2.3 doth inrimate as much in the very next words that do immediatly follow the man of sin by calling him presently 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the child of perdition or the son of destruction or of the destroyer which I find only ascribed to Judas that betrayed Christ and delivered him to death and to the Antichrist that brought the witnesses of Christ to death and so both Judas and the Antichrist are rightly termed the sons of destruction both actively and passively 1. Actively in destroying and bringing others to destruction as Judas did Christ and the Antichrist the Witnesses And 2. Vide Maresium in dissertat de ontichristo pag. 50. Passively in destroying themselves as Judas did in hanging himself and the Antichrist will do for so unjustly delivering his King and his Master to be destroyed And so you have seen what sin is the notorious proper and peculiar sin of the Antichrist the murdering of the Witnesses 2. 2. Who hath committed this sin that is the sin of the antichrist Neither the Pope nor the turk We are now to enquire whom we can find if we can find any that hath committed and thus committed as I shewed you this sin And here I must tell you it is far safer to tell you who did it not than to name to you who hath done it But I am sure that neither the Pope nor the Turk hath done it neither could they do it Reason 1 1. Because it was to be done by Inferiours and Subjects against their Superiours and Governours as the Jews did against Christ and Corah Dathan and Abiram against Moses and Aaron that were their Rulers and their Teachers and the Pope hath no superiour Pastor to instruct him nor the Turk any Emperor or King to command him Reason 2 2. Because it was to be done by a collected multitude and a High Court of Justice the highest Court in the Kingdom where it should be done and therefore neither by the Pope nor
the Turk could it be done Who then hath done it This Book was written in the time of the Usurper Truly if any Court hath done such an Act I think I need not if I knew it digito demonstrare dieier hic est because such a publick Fact and so abominable in the sight of men that is as the Apostle speaks of the death of Christ not done in a corner is known far and near and talked of by young and old Yet this much I will tell thee my friendly Reader for I think none but my friends will read me that I have read very many Histories both of the Greeks and Latines and many of the Histories of the Church Whence the 9 Speeches in Parliament were collected and the Lives of many Kings and Emperors both of our own Kingdom and of other Nations and the Nine several speeches as I believe of the best anti-regal Orators of the Long Parliament concerning the Power of Parliament to proceed against their King for mis-government The which Speeches if I be not much mistaken were all taken and collected out of Dolmans Book that was the great Jesuite and arch-enemy of Queen Elizabeth Father Parsons that printed a Book full of treason against the Queens Majesty under the feigned name of Dolman and the Book was condemned by Act of Parliament the 35th year of Queen Elizabeth and now with the change of the Title the most of it is reprinted to shew the Power of Parliament to proceed against their King which by that Act of the 25th of the Queen I conceive to be then judged no less than crimen laesae Majestatis a crime of High Treason against the Queen though in the Long Parliament it was thought a point of just proceeding against our Kings especially against King Charles And yet in all the Histories that I have read and in all those Nine Speeches and all those Examples What Kings were deposed or killed by their Subjects that those Orators do produce of the Kings and Princes that were deposed banished or killed by their Subjects for their Tyranny and mis-government as Saul and Ammon by the Jews Romulus Tarquinius Julius Caesar Nero Domitian Heliogabulus Maxentius Constantine the 6th and Irene by the Romans Childereck and Charles of Lorein by the French Flaveo Suintilla Don Alonso el Sabio and Don Pedro by the Spaniards Don Sancho by the Portugals Henry the 3. by the Polonians Gustavus by the Swedes Cisternus by the Danes Edwin John Edward the 2. Richard the 2. Henry the 6. and Richard the 3. by the English Which are all but obliquely and poorly produced and might by a reasonable Historian be fully answered especially because according to that true Rule Vivitur praeceptis non exemplis We are to frame our lives by Precepts as God commandeth us and not by examples as other men have done For I can have examples enough beyond number of men that have committed murders and that have been Robbers and Adulterers and the like And shall I therefore follow their examples God forbid So many Nations have done thus and thus unto their Kings And will that warrant us That we ought not to follow unjust examples do to the like By no means Because we are to look not what other Nations do but what God commandeth us to do and he commandeth us not to touch his Anointed nor to speak evil of the Governour of the people be he good or be he bad for if he be good nutritor est tuus he is thy preserver and thank God for him and if he be bad tentator est tuus God sent him for thy trial and thou must not kick against God but receive thy trial with patience until he that sent him in his anger takes him away in his wrath against him and in his love to thee and he can take him away when he pleaseth till which time with David thou shouldst rest thy self contented as he did to endure the Tyranny of Saul though I say that I read of those foresaid Princes that were deposed or killed by the foresaid Nations and of many others Kings and Princes that as the Poet saith came not to their graves sicca morte And as the Parliament proceeded against King Charles without blood yet I find not any one of them all in any Nation whatsoever to have been proceeded against and to have been condemned and killed modo forma as the Jews proceeded against Christ and the Antichrist would proceed against the Witnesses and the Parliament did against our King And therefore this sin of the Antichrist is not an usual or a common sin as Idolatry blasphemy murder and the like but such a murder as is to be the proper and peculiar sin of the Antichrist and of none else in which respect the Apostle calleth the Antichrist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the man of the sin by which sin so done as I shewed you you might know him to be the Antichrist Object But it may be some will say that I do hereby positively and plainly conclude the Long Parliament to be the great Antichrist and to have committed the proper sin of the Antichrist because that they being the highest Court of Justice have condemned their Superiours their King and chief Pastor judicially as the Jews did Christ unto death Solut. I answer that God hath not made me a Judge to determine whether the Long Parliament hath justly or unjustly condemned them to death for if they have done justly therein they have done well and no waies committed the sin of the Antichrist which is such a condemning as I shewed of an innocent person unto death and of such persons as God requireth not but forbiddeth to be condemned but if they have unjustly condemned them let them look to it and answer to God for it I will not be their Judge let who will determine the question but I will proceed in the Apostles description of this man of sin that is the Antichrist And to shew that the Antichrist is full of other sins though this man-killing thus That the antichrist will be full of other sins as I shewed be his Master sin St. Paul goeth on to set out some other of his sins that tend to produce and to perfect the former sin saying that he should oppose and exalt himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped So that He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an opposer or an adversary 1. A Rebel an opposer of his King and of his Passor as both the Syriack and the vulgar Latine reads it and as learned Zanchius saith this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek answereth to the word Satan in Hebrew and as the Son of Perdition which the Apostle here ascribeth unto the Antichrist so this word adversary alludeth unto Judas of whom Christ saith have not I chosen twelve and one of you is a Devil And why a Devil but because he