unquestionable title both by succession and conquest after his ascension according to his promise sent his holy spirit in an extraordinary way upon his twelve Apostles who dividing the world amongst them went forth in the power of the Holy Ghost conquering the people During their time there was no need of any Magistracy for their protection for the Holy Ghost protected them beyond all the Magistracy in the world it released them out of the strongest prison brake open the strongest gates and knockt down their stoutest enemies as Paul who was doubtlesse some great Magistrate amongst them for he was the companion of Herod and when he was converted the Church had peace round about which argues there was none before his conversion greater then he he punished the scandalous as Ananias and Saphira it gave like a Monarch large boons to those that desired it it healed the sick gave limbs to the lame raised the dead and by its imperiall power made spirits of men in every Nation bow down to the Apostles commands this extraordinary presence of the spirit with the Apostles was beyond all the Monarchs in the world for this Spirit saved all the passengers in the Ship when the Ship was broken all in pieces which all the Monarchs in the world could not do this Spirit raised Paul from death to life after he was stoned which all the powers in the world could not do therefore there was no need of a Magistracy to protect them in that Age the power of working Miracles was their Magistracy at this time say some We may truly affirm that since Christs universall conquest on the Crosse after his Resurrection from that day Matth. 28. 18. that he divulged this universall power in heaven and earth the Church hath not been left without a true Monarch for Christ is that Monarch who gave Commission to his Disciples to divulge his Laws and command the world to observe them and he would be with his Embassadors to the end of the world so that the true Church cannot be without a Monarch who by a naturall right according to the flesh raigns over them and will raign in the midst of his enemies and make all their designs promote his honor and his Churches good this grand priviledge only the Gospell Church injoys for the Jews had only temporall Monarchs according to the flesh who died away but they had not a spirituall Monarch who by right of Succession came whom through unbelief they reject to this day though for certain he is their lawfull naturall King by a naturall right of Succession being of the Linage of David and he is our naturall King we being Gentiles by a right of Succession from Adam and he is spiritually the King both of the Jews and Gentiles by that spituall infinitely glorious Conquest which he got over the Wrath of God and his Divine Justice over the Powers of hell and all their malice and over the souls of the Elect and all their sinnes so that he is by Conquest the Monarch of the Gospell Church so that the Church under the Gospell can never be without a Throne and one to sit upon that Throne In the last place this we do affirm that soon after extraordinary gifts ceased and that extraordinary Succession of Ministers which Christ promised to be with til the end of the world Mat. 28. 20. succeeded God raised up a civil Magistracy for the protecting of the Church propagation of the Gospel and preservation of the Ministery This Magistracy was visible in England before any other part of the world and as Rome furnished our Magistracy with a godly orthodox Christian Ministery so not long after our Magistracy furnished Rome with a godly Magistracy to rescue the Ministery out of the Jawes of those Heathen Dragons Lucius about 170 years after Christ being a Brittish King of this Nation was called to be Gods Vicar as Elutherius Bishop of Rome terms him this Christian King sets up Christs Lawes and Faith in his Kingdom pulling down Paganism and setting up Christian Bishopricks in the room of the Pagan Flamins About 130 years after out of the same Royall Brittish bloud God raised up that famous Witness for his Truth Constantine who became the first great protecter of the Christians throughout the habitable world he was the first that made Rome which for a long time had been the Devils Throne to become Gods Throne Rev. 12. He threw down the bloudy Dragons the Emperours and Rome afterward became famous in her Magistracy and Ministery for Christ beyond all the world untill Antichrist arose and drove these Witnesses into the Wilderness and made them war sackcloth since which rising and tyrannizing of Antichrist there hath been a visible Magistracy and Ministery in England as Witnesses to the Truth of Christ though many times in great obscurity through outward persecutions it would be here too tedious to relate what might be said of the Magistracy and Ministery of England we will onely say thus much that the Kings and Bishops of England testified to the Truth against the Popes Antichristian Usurpation more then others and before any other Witnesses for about the time Anno 800. when the Popes were swelled to their height even then shall we find when other Kings kissed the Popes feet the Kings and Bishops of England opposed their Usurpation What if I did assert this That the first lawfull Christian Magistracy under the Gospell arose in England from England it went to Rome wherefore a little while half an hour it flourished and caused great peace in the Church but when Antichrist arose he drove the lawfull Magistracy and lawfull Ministery of Rome into Sackcloth and into the Wildernesse that is into some remote place from Rome observe it Rev. 12. 14. The Woman that is the Church that brought forth such a happy Son as Constantine this Woman by Antichrist is drove into the Wildernesse saith the Text into her place whence I conclude that England is this Wildernesse For first this was the place from whence a godly Magistracy went unto Rome and secondly this was the place unto which the Witnesses were drove again where I say have been visible in sackcloth since the Popes usurpation of Rome nay let me add this to my assertion that the lawfull Monarch of Rome by a true Line of Succession was Charles the King of England who was beheaded on a lofty Scaffold at noon at his own door January 30. 1648. For if noble Sir Robert Naunron that learned Antiquary and noble Lawyer say true in his Fragmenta Regalia cap. 1. p. 2. whose words are these Remarkable it is saith he concerning the violent desertion of the Royall house of Britains by the invasion of the Saxons and afterward by the conquest of the Normans that by the vicissitude of times and thought a discontinuance almost a thousand years the Royall Scepter should fall back into the Corrent of the old British bloud in the person of Henry VII
The Offices that are slain are Two a lawful Magistracy and a lawful Ministery The lawful Magistracy is that which hath the Christ and his Apostles ordained in the Church and established untill his second coming for to teach instruct rebuke and comfort the Church Now these two must be slain in that place where they have all their time been in sackcloth but a lawfull visible Magistracy and a lawfull visible Ministery have since 390. been visible in England though in sackcloth under the Popes tyranny treachery and oppression Now let these Countreys that brag of the slaying of the Witnesses amongst them first shew me for these thousand two hundred and sixty years A lawfull Magistracy and Ministery and then those so long in sackcloth if they shew me not this I 'le not believe the Witnesses shal be slain where they are not but confident I am England can only shew these Witnesses no Nation els so long together in the world as God continued Monarchy in the Church from the Creation untill the mighty Monarch of the world came So that mighty Monarch the Lord Jesus after his Ascention chose him his first Vice-Gerent here in England Lucius by name who swaid the Scepter for Christ from that Christian Race the Romans received their Christian Magistracy as Constantine and Christian Monarchy except in a National discertion hath continued visible in this Kingdome of England well nigh 1500 years so that England above and before all other Nations since the profession of the Gospell hath retained Gods Witnesses a lawfull Ministery being established by that good King Lucius that Christian Monarch let us then look for the Witnesses where God hath placed them and never till this day totally plucked them up I say I here challenge all the Historians and Antiquaries in the world to shew me where or when since these fourteen hundred years past that the two great Offices in the Church and State the lawfull Magistracy and the lawfull Ministery were in so sad a slain abject condition as at this day in England let Historians bring me the blackest night that ever came upon these two Offices and I dare undertake to make it appear that this day is seven times blacker and sadder to these great Offices then any heretofore may I not add one thing more to prove that the Witnesses have onely been in this Kingdome visibly in sackcloth before William the Conquerors time our Chronicles make mention of godly Kings which for their piety were called Saints Thâ—se you shall find them opposing the insolency and wickednesse of the Church of Rome King Edgar acknowledged no supremacy in the Pope but saith that the care of the Church of Christ ad nos spectat it belongeth to the King not to the Pope and this he did saith Hoveden by the advice and means of Ethelwood Bishop of Winton and Oswald Bishop of Worcester so that seven hundred years since we have had Magistrates and Ministers against the Popes supremacy and before that as is evident in Malmsbury de Gest. Reg. lib. 2. P. 57. afterwards from William the Conqueror to the last King of England we have it clear they have testified against the Popes usurpation and have in every Age suffered much and been put into sackcloth by the prevailing treacherous rebellious factions of the Popes raising against the Kings of England no Kingdome in Europe can say the like and which is one of the remarkablest passages in the world the King that wast cut off when he had finished his testimony was the only Protestant King in the world therefore the only Witnesse say I yea he was as learned Sir Robert Naunton proves in his fragmenta regalia cap. 1. p. 2. the lawfull Successor by lineall dissent of the ancient British Kings so that if any Magistracy in the world be the slain Witnesse 't is that of England which is lawfull in it's self hath been visible for Christ before Antichrist in sackcloth visible under Antichrist and in the sight and hearing of all the world cut off with the Axe for finishing the testimony against Antichrist Now as for the Ministery of England the other Witnesse of Christs against Antichrist that it hath been as ancient as the Christian Magistracy and as visibly suffered under Antichrist and now lieth under the greatest reproach ignominy and slain condition is as clear as the former I shall say nothing to this Office that Office will speak for it self I am sure 't is of age and ability enough to gainsay all his opposers you see how much probability we have from the persons that are slain that the English Magistracy and Ministery are the Witnesses Now we proceed to shew what probability there is that these Witnesses are to be slain in these Northern Islands I will say the lesse of the Beast that slaies them because I portrayed him in the ensuing tract I shal only discover him where he is to be found in Scripture Prophecies and then what those Scripture Prophecies say of his downfal in Rev. 11. 7. he is called the Beast that ascendeth out or the bottomlesse pit after the Witnesses have finished their testimony where note that this Beast that slaies the Witnesses is not the Pope but one that riseth when the Witnesses have finished their testimony and his raign is but three years and an half and this all the Greek and Latin Fathers assent unto and 't is as clear as the Sun from this text In Rev. 13. 11. he is called the Beast of the Earth to have us to observe that he is one distinct from the Sea ver. 5. 't is wonderfull to behold how many learned Protestants joyn these together in one when God by his Word hath severed they are distinguished by their originall the one ariseth out of the earth and the other out of the Sea The Holy Ghost calls the Beast of the Earth another and many Protestants though not all of them for Bishop Cooper saith 't is one distinct from the Beast of the Sea make them notwithstanding the same the Beast of the Earth hath but two horns and and the Beast of the sea ten more arguments may be picked out of the texts to prove the Beast of the Earth which slays the Witnesses shall rise and raigne but three years and an half during the time the Witnesses shall lie slain as 't is clear Rev. 11. 7. 12. this Beasts rising is the Witnesses falling and the Witnesses rising in this Beasts ruine That the Beast of the Earth and the Beast of the bottomlesse pit are one and the same is clear for Rev. 13. 10. 11. he riseth then when the faith and patience of the Witnesses are exercised here is the faith and patience of the Saints their suffering graces when the Beast of the Earth ariseth are exercised and the Beast of the bottomlesse pit is he that exerciseth their defensive graces so Rev. 11. 7. he makes war with them and overcomes and kills them This Beast of the
accidentally a reformation in the Church which is the proper object of a reformation now this must be premised before we can proceed We must know that Lucius the first Christian King when he erected Bishopricks he gave estates to those Archbishops and Bishops which he placed in the Kingdom he did but according to the light of nature in it For the Pagan Priests had means allowed them The three Archflamins and the twenty eight Flamins of the Pagans the King turned into so many Archbishopricks and Bishopricks Afterwards the Saxon Kings erected many more religious Houses Chanteries Monasteries Hospitalls and to which livings were given for the maintenance of the Ministery and relief of the poor the giving of these livings was not the person that was sowed in the Church as some have erroniously conjectured These Church-lands anciently were called by their right name Appropriations because they were appropriate to a particular Succession of Clergy-men which were of severall Orders and Houses each of which made a body Politique and obtained either of the Pope or of the King that their Successors suppose the Incumbents Priors Abbots or Prebends might without institution or induction of the Ordinary be perpetuall Incumbents so that as one of them died his Successor might forthwith enter into his place Hence they were called Appropriations When the Clergy had appropriated these livings to themselves they grew idle lascivious proud rich and rebellious insomuch that the Pope for the most part making them of his Faction curbed the King of England in his own Dominion whereupon Henry VIII partly to secure himselfe from the inraged Pope but chiefly for the profit of the Abbies and religious Houses pull'd them down which that he might do effectually and with much applause he ingaged the Lords and Commons against them who envying their pride and wealth were easily drawn to concur with the King in the same And that they might gain a party in the Clergy this work of pulling down Abbies was reported as the onely high way to a Reformation of Religion and indeed there was a great alteration in Religion for the better Hereupon the Magistri novae Disciplinae the Masters of new Discipline these were the Protestant Divines they were embraced by the King just as the Presbyterians were by the Parliament when they took away the Bishops lands the King made large promises untill the Parliament had confer'd the Church-land upon him and then the Masters of the new Discipline were as much slighted as the Presbyterians are now and thus appropriations become impropriations justly so called because they were put into improper hands Lay-mens hands From this Discourse I draw these two inferences 1 All the Reformations as yet have been but sackcloth Reformations 2 'T is a land-devouring King destroying God-provoking Soul-damning sin to be guilty of Sacriledge Let that King then that looks for a blessing from God make conscience of restoring that to the Church which is her due notwithstanding long detained from her Let no man think that I plead for my self in this for I am no Clergy man I must break off here abruptly for the Printer grutcheth at my prolixity The blessing of the eternall Trinity be upon thee Reader in reading this and the ensuing Tract that from it thou may'st receive light and comfort in these dark and disconsolate Times FJNJS REader since nothing is more common and nothing more dangerous then Erratas to prevent that common danger I have given thee here the Erratas to keep thee from error thou hast only here those in Lingua Testium and not all those but only the grosse ones such as upon a swift perusall I found most grosse I durst do no otherwise lest the Printer should as those unworthy fellows that printed Manus Testium totally neglect the printing of the Erratas sent them whereby the book suffers exceedingly as also in the leaving out of many clauses misplacing stops Commas and Parentheses and crowding together distinct matter in a confused heap with mistaking of Texts as in p. 14. there Hebrews is put for Revel. and in f. the fourth seventeen for seven Psalmes which seven relate the Church her great distresse and her glorious deliverance by the mighty hand of God and in f. fourth Papists is put for Paâ—â—ias p. 21. for this present r. the Protestant p. 16. ex ejus r. ex ciis for endatiae r. mendariae p. 17. for Sybillae fraudulentia predicet r. sub illâ fraudulentiâ perdidet and in p. 81. the fifth and sixth lines are confused and severall other places which I have forgot having not the Erratas by me This I give thee to free my self from the censure of tolerating errors especially in that which so nearly concerns me IN the Title in Proposition 7. for never read were in the last words in the Title page for beasts read beast p. 5. l. 24. r. Petrus Galatianus p. 6. l. 21. understood r. understood so p. 7. l. 25. 1650. r. 1650. per their account p. 8. l. 21 beasts r. best p. 10. l. 7. 40. r. 400. p. 16. l. 6 October r. December betwixt p. 16. 17. three words are left out p. 25. penult Pape r. people p. 30. Rome r. powers p. 31. eruditi r. ineruditi p. 32. l. 6. malice r. maladies l. 23. à symbolicis r. à symbolis l. 32. r. who knowes not p. 37. l. 4. raines r. ruines l 25. worst r. most p. 38. l. 26. from Seth the son of Adam r. from Adam p. 42. l 3. wherefore r. where for l. 14. I say have r. I say they have l. 24. thoght r. through p. 44. l. 24. man r. name l. 45. l. 27. this r. his p. 46. l. 3. person r. poyson betwixt p. 40. 41. two or three words are omitted Isay 58. 8. Dan. 7. 25. a D. 7. 25. b D. 11. 38 c Rev. 11. 9 d Da. 7. 8. 9 e R. 19. 10. 20. f R. 13. 13. 14. g Re. 17. 7. h Za. 14. 4. 7 Da. 11. 45.
pulling thee by timely repentance out of Babylon that is now falling I beseech the therefore since I have not counted my paines purse person nor life to much too prepare it and present it to thee doe not think thy paines to much to read it read it as I writ it with much diligence and fervent prayer and I pray God grant that it may be so effectuall by the operation of the Holy Ghost upon all that reade it that the drooping feebl soul may be incouraged the blind enlightned the obstinate so terrified that the Divels kingdome may be shaken by it Antichrists kingdome may be confounded by it and the Beast of the earth who supports them both may be speedily and utterly ruined by it this is the daily and hourly prayer of him who studies nothing more then thy spirituall welfare The Author to his Book MY little book I only call thee mine because in these dark times I 'm only thine Goe quickly through the world and boldly say that mighty Monark's comming to destroy The church her enemies let proud Rome know from thee shee 's neare her last great overthrow And tell the earth-Beast when the seven Trump ' sounds his death 's designd that Trump ' his power confounds Then let the Dragon also understand Christs comming and his chaining up's at hand And let the house of Austria know and Spain Their sunne shall set and never rise againe This message don my Booke goe to the Jewes and with a cheerefull voyce proclaime this news Our Lord is their Messias and their eyes shall weepe ore him whom now they doe despise Their Native King our Lord shall by his hand restore the twelve Tribes to their Native land They shall put eie to eie that is shall see their Prophets and the Apostles to agree This don go to the Gentiles Church which lies this day o'rewhelmed with deep Calamities Comfort her thus tell her the Scriptures say her witnesses shall rise that Beast to slay In whose destruction the grand power of all the three last Gospell Enemies shall fall Tell her this earth-Beast raignes this howers that day which slayes her witnesses the Scriptures say Bid her not feare those Offices now slaine in Church and State shall shortly rise againe Whose glorious rising shall the world affright and slay this earth-Beast with his men of might Then shall the Vialls run Gods wrath shall rise and ruine his three last Grand enemies Let then that Northern Kingdome understand by this it's day of triumph is at hand It 's now distressed Ministers and King shall mourne no more but Hallalu-jahs sing That church no more her sackcloth shall put on shee shall be clothed with salvation Her King shall Raigne in righteousnesse and make Gods enemies throughout the world to quake He shall be nursing father to the Jewes and shall no acts of grace to them refuse They shall flock in to him he shall destroy their foes that bard them from Salvations way Immediately before this come to passe her troubles shall be such as never was The prefixt symptoms of this day must be her low State and her foes prospertie Hence t is this great dayes prophecies allude to each great Church deliverance since the flood She sings the Song of Moses and the Lambe 'cause out of such deep miserie she came Lift up thine eyes O Zion then and see in this great day thy foretold Enemie Three yeares and halfe thine enemy must rage ore thee by warre which he with thee doth wage One thousand two hundred sixty dayes just O LaVer Vs CroMweLL's name makes who must 50 5 5 100 1000 50. 50 a Three yeares and an halfe by his b sword-power raigne which is that time the c witnesses lie slain Jf who he slayes by ought demanded be t is Kingly Offfce and the Ministry This Beast's that d little horne that puls away three hornes ot'h ten him e Christ comes to destroy This Beasts f deceitfull perjur'd base Love's lies and beares g up Rome with all her blasphemies This is that enemie which doth divide Mount h Olvet and makes the breach so wide Twixt North and South and makes one day like night but when its evening comes it shall be light That is this Beast in Scotland shall rage there but one prophetique day that is one year Jn'th' ' ev'ning of which yeare it shall bee light toth' Church and to this Beast Eternall night This beast betwixt betwixt the seas in Scotland must incamp â—nd there be scattered as the dust Share then my book twixt Zions friends and foes their unexpected lots of joyes and woes Tell Zion now i' th dust full fraught with sorrow her bloodie tears shall bring forth joys to morrow Haste then toth' Scots tell them the prophets say their warre is Christs and he 'l give them the day And this shall be the signe even this alone when the enemie seems most strong they most undone Reader What is deficient in this thou shalt find supplyed in Manus Testium THe method of Gods afflicting providence in the Church since the Creation is worthy the observation of all but more especially of him who undertakes to interpret the Holy Scriptures The method of God in his acts of providence towards his Church are 1. To bring them exceeding low before he deliver them 2. After he hath delivered them from their great troubles and put them in a hopeful way of peace for ends best known to himself he oftentimes dashes their hopes and darkens the way by sad and heavy afflictions As the former is undeniable so the latter is cleer in the Scriptures See this verified in Jacob the Father of the twelve Patriarchs Jacob being newly gotten from a Heardmaster and passed the River with his wifes and substance he resolved to go into the Promised Land when he was got seven dayes journey in all probability out of Labans reach on a sudden the storm riseth Laban pursues him with his forces and Esau prepares to stop him in his flight with 400 men so that we may see here Jacob like Christ on the Cross a miserable object betwixt two Thieves To this Jeremiah alludes when he prophesies of the great troubles of the Church immediatly before the conversion of the twelve Tribes He calls it the time of Iacob's trouble none hath bin like it So likewise when the Church was delivered from Egypt's Bondage and all their Enemies drowned and when they had seen and tasted of the goodness of the Lord from Heaven in raining Manna and of the sweet and spiritual love-tokens of God from Mount Sina when God had given them Lawes and Ordinances and began a glorious Reformation and when they were going into Canaan then riseth Corah Dathaâ— and Abiran against the Witnesses Moses and Aaron and then the people rebell and that glorious Sun of a Reformation went retrogade many thousand of degrees by Asa's Diall So likewise David when
because Rev. 13. 13. He doth great wonders ver. 14. on purpose to deceive so that this eighth Beast bearing up Rome when Rome is going to Judgment when he goeth to perdition Rome must necessarily fall with him 2. The Holy Ghost in that he calls him Rev. 17. 11. the eighth Beast and tells us twice in that Chapter that 't is he that goeth to destruction I humbly conceive the Holy Ghost points at Daniel 7. 8. which Daniel calls another little horn Daniel longing to know the meaning of him the Holy Ghost tells him 'T is that horn that shall rise after the ten horns under the Roman Monarchy and shall pull three of the ten horns up by the roots ver. 8 21. makes war with the Saints and prevails against them just as in Rev. 11. 7. This horn ver. 24. shall arise after the ten Kings subject to Rome and shall be diverse from them In this respect he is said to be the eighth Rev. 17. and he shall subdue three Kings i. e. Kingdoms and ver. 11. By the setting up of Christs Kingdom the Beast shall be slain and given to the burning flame as Rev. 19. 20. and 25. He shall reign untill a time times and the dividing of times and then by the coming in of Christs Kingdom he shall be destroyed to the end utter ruine shall befall him Now who should this little horn be that riseth in the end of the Roman Monarchy and throws down three Kings that is usurps the Dominion of three Kingdoms purely professing the Gospel where the Saints whom he persecutes are and reignes tyrannically over the Saints but three years and an half and must be destroyed by the erecting of Christs Kingdom and putting the Saints in possession but onely the Beast which John Rev. 11. 13 17. and 19. setteth forth in his rising reigning and ruine Object But how comes this Beast to have seven heads and ten Horns since he is none of the Roman Heads in Revel. 17. 3 7. Sol. I thought till I looked into the Original that the seven Heads and ten Horns had related to the Woman and not to the Beast and I thought ver. 9. would have born me out as well as the vulgar Translation but I perceived it not onely clashing with ver. 12. and v. 16. but confounding the Syntaxis of the words in the Greek Copy for the Participle in v. 3. and the Article in v. 7. are of another Gender as in v. 3. how can {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} agree together but {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} agree together so likewise in v. 7. how can {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} agree together when as it agrees with {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} therefore learned Beza reades v. 3. vidi mulierem insidentem bestiae Coccinae plenae nominibus plasphemiae habenti Capita Septem so that habenti agrees with bestiae which is agreeable to the Greek Copy the vulgar renders it doubtfully but the Greek Copy decides this cleerly by referring the Horns to the Beast not the Woman Ob. How comes it to pass then if the Beast be not the Pope but he that riseth and slays the Witnesses when the Popes time is drawing neer to an end that he is said Rev. 13. to have but two horns and here to have seven Heads and ten Horns Sol. The subject I am now upon is exceeding mysterious so mysterious that John wondered with great admiration to see Babylon in a mystery devouring the bloud of the Saints v. 5 6. to see men under the name of Saints and tender consciencious men drinking exceedingly of the bloud of the Saints This is a great mystery and a mystery to be wondered at now this mystery v. 7. the Holy Ghost tells us is double there is a mystery of the Woman that is Rome and the mystery of the Beast that at this time now Rome is going to ruine bears her up Now this Beast is not the Pope for the Pope sits as a Whore upon many waters This double mystery then is in thishow the Woman Rome should come to be drunk now with the bloud of Saints when she 's going to ruine and the other part of the mystery lyeth in verse 7. how the Beast that had horns like a Lamb and a fair smooth tongue like a Dragon Rev. 13. 11. should now have the feet of a Bear and the jawes of a Lyon how he that had covenanted to throw down Rome and professed himself a great friend to the Saints and yielded all his assistance to throw down Popery Superstition and Idolatry and holds the same Religion in profession that the true Saints do how this Beast should become the Beast bearing up Rome here is the mystery and such a mystery as is to be in the Church when the Witnesses shall be slain and when Rome is neer to utter ruine which mystery being this day in our eyes revealed is a sure prognostick to me that Rome is not far off from her utter ruine Now I humbly conceive that the Beast is said to have the seven heads and ten horns because he supports Rome with seven heads and ten horns Now as the Heathen Emperours were called the red Dragon with seven heads and ten horns Rev. 12. 2. and the Pope is the Beast of the Sea with seven heads and ten horns because they kept up the Emperial pomp and state of Rome so this Beast of the Earth is said here to have seven heads and ten horns because he supports the pomp and state of Rome when the Witnesses had finished their testimony and were ready to pour out the vialls upon it This Beast is therefore the Eighth ver. 11. because he is distinct from those seven Kings v. 10. and yet he is of the seven because he is an Usurper and a Tyrant who rules by his Sword-power as the seven before him did who bore up the woman with seven heads therefore this Eighth Beast â—â—â—…d to be of the seven because of the likeness of the Government he sets up to theirs before him Hence 't is that in v 8. the Beast that bears Rome is called the Beast that is not and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit He was in the Idaea of his Government in the Usurpation of Caesar but is not because he is to come out of the bottomless pit Rev. 11. 7. where the 1260. years reign of Antichrist draws towards an end and then slays the Witnesses the next words cleers it that this Beast is also the Beast of the Earth mentioned Rev. 13. 12 13 14. Hence he is called the Beast that was because Rev. 13. 12. he makes the people to worship the first Beast whose deadly wound is healed that is he makes people subject to a Government as Caesar set up in Rome which was a
packt company of Senators whom he at his command could sway to what he pleased after he had drove away and secluded the faithfull members of the Senate-house But by what power doth he do this the same ver. of Chap. 13. tells us He doth it by the power of the first Beast before him that is the Pope as we have shewed these two first Beasts mentioned in the same verse signifie 1. The Pope in whose presence the last Beast acts and by whose power he acts And the other is Caesar whose Government he endeavours to set up Now he doth it by the power of the Pope that is by treachery lying perjury treason and lying wonders Therefore in Rev. 17. 8. the time when this Beast shall be in the world shall be a time of wonder the people shall wonder at him wonder at the changes he makes in Times and Laws and wonder at his proceedings and the reason is in Rev. 13. 13. because he doth wonders in the sight of the men of the Earth that have not rooting in Christ by his glorious successes and his specious pretences and also his boasts of the prevalencies of his prayers with Heaven how providence guides him prospers and protects him thus he cheats the Pope and makes them to admire him for his acting by the first Beasts power that is by the Popes power so that this Beast is after the Pope and to be expected as the Fathers say when Rome is to go to ruine and to be destroyed Thus this Beast is the Beast that was and is not and yet is Ob. How is he the Beast that is Sol. He is the beast that is because at that time when John had this Revelation Rome had the government of Caesar though Caesar and that Family were extinct there was a Senate in Rome and that Senate curbed under the power of the sword sword-men bore the sway the General of the Army was the Emperour though they had the name of the Senate they sate voted in the Senate but it was the General and his souldiers acted what they pleased and in this sence this beast was in Johns time that is in the Government and in this sence also the eighth is of the seven The hardest knot still remains to be untied and that is Rev. 17. 12 16. where 't is said That the ten Horns are ten Kings which have received no Kingdom as yet but receive power as Kings one hour with the beast What should these ten Kings be who have no Kingdom nor power untill this beast arise and then they have but power as Kings one hour with the beast 1. We must answer negatively these ten Horns here mentioned cannot be meant the ten Kingdoms subject to Rome as some would have it for that is expressed in ver. 25. Otherwise then by ten Horns there the head of Rome the pontifick state is called the Whore and the powers subject to Rome compared to Waters which Waters are by the Holy Ghost in the same verse interpreted Peoples and Multitudes Nations and Tongues 2. We answer possibly yea most probably ten Horns may have a double sence and meaning the one to set forth these Kings subject to the Roman Empire and so Dan. 7. 7. is to be understood and so the most learned Protestant Writers understand these ten Horns 'T is also the opinion of learned men that by ten Horns is meant the Senate of Rome subordinate to the Imperiall power of Rome so Alcazar understands these ten Horns he calls them Poliarchiam Senatorum And not rejecting the common interpretation of the ten Horns I conceive this may be the meaning of Rev. 13. 1. where when the state of Rome was changed from Emperours to Popes the seven Heads had blasphemous Names on them and the ten Horns were crowned The Senate of Rome under the Emperor had no Crowns but when the Pope came up with his ten Horns that is his Conclave of Cardinals resembling a Senate they had their Miters on here the ten Horns are crown'd As I do not dote upon this interpretation so I dare not despise it for it hangs upon as much reason as the other if not more and I know no reason but why these ten Horns may have a double signification as well as the seven Heads but the seven heads Rev. 17. 9 10. signifie seven Mountains and seven Kings Therefore by these ten Kings here Rev. 17. 12. I conceive is meant those Senators or that packt party that this Beast sets up by his sword power and as Caesar conquer'd under pretence of subjecting people to his packt-senate in Rome so doth this subdue Nations and Kingdoms to his packt-party of Senators Observe how clearly this appears in the Text v. 12. 1. The Holy Ghost doth not say these Kings shall receive Kingdoms but a Kingdom Ten is but indifinitly for many as ten Virgins ten Talents and now these many shall not reign in distinct Kingdoms for John saith they have not received a Kingdom noting these many Kings shal be in one Kingdom 2. They are not absolute Kings but receive power as Kings they rule and tyrannize and make Lawes and exact obedience from the people as Kings 3. 'T is but one hour that they have this power three years and an half is the utmost extent of their duration in this power for they come in with this beast now this beast continues but three years and an half 4. These all make but one vote v. 3. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that is in English make one vote I do not know how better to express it in English therefore I conclude that these are not distinct Kings but such as vote together in one Councel to propagate the beasts designs and in so doing ver. 14. they are by the Holy Ghost marked for those who fight with the Lamb and the Lamb overcomes so that hence I gather that the great battel spoken of to be fought Rev. 19. 19 20. by Christ against the beast and the false Prophet is the battel that is to be fought against the beast and these ten Horns For on the Churches side the Generall and his Army are one and the same in both here he is called the Lamb and Rev. 19. 7 8. he is called the Lamb here he is called the King of kings and Lord of lords and there vers. 16. he is called King of kings and Lord of lords here his Army is called faithfull and chosen and in ver. 11. there their Generall who makes them like him by calling them to him is called faithfull and true This battell is set forth Rev. 11. 13. by a great Earthquake and Rev. 14. 19 20. by gathering the Vine of the Earth into the Vinepress of Gods wrath a usuall metaphor to set forth the ruine of the Enemies of the Church by like that in Judges The gleanings of Ephraim are better then the Vintage of Ebiesar that is the little Conquests of Ephraim in taking these two
Princes were greater then the Vintage the great Conquest of Gideon over that vast Army But here is another hard question comes in and that is from v. 14. and 16. Q. How can it be said in v. 13. that the Horns make war with the Lamb and the Lamb overcomes them and in v. 16. The ten Horns shall hate the whore and make her naked and eat her flesh and burn her with fire Resp. To this we answer Those ten Horns cannot be the same in person in v. 14. with these in v. 16. 1. Because these in v. 14. make war against the Lamb but those in v. 16. make war for the Lamb 2. Those in v. 14. are destroyed and overcome by the Lamb and therefore cannot be the same in person with those in v. 16. because they shall hate the Whore Now comes in the Judgement of the Whore spoken of v. 1. and in this v. 16. the Officers that shall bring her to Judgement are set forth Observe but the opposition that the Holy Ghost puts betwixt the person and persons in one Office by the ten Horns as I have shew'd signifies a Senate a Parliament or a supream power consisting of many Members This v. 14. and 16. if seriously perused shew us that there shall be a great Rent amongst persons conjoyn'd in one office the ten Horns v. 12. arise with the beast but the other v. 17. give their Kingdom through their oversight to the beast so that these clearly are distinct for these last ten Horns had a Kingdom or else they could not give it away but the other v. 12. come to be Kings or as Kings with the beast so that the coming up of these is the casting down of those vers. 17. untill the words of God be fulfilled Those ten Kings vers. 13. give their power and strength which they received from the beast to the beast against the Lamb But those ten Horns v. 17. give but their Kingdom for a time and when that time is fulfilled i. e. when the seventh Trumpet sounds when the mystery of God shall be finished or fulfilled then those shall hate the Whore and shall make her desolate and eat her flesh and burn her with siâ—e This gives us a most clear description of the slain Witnesses by a party atising out of their own bowels Here are the same ten Horns for the beast against the Lamb and the same ten Horns for the Lamb against the Beast and the Whore This is a mystery which hath been locked up from former ages and is now in the eyes of all the world revealing it self these ten Horns therefore are distinct in their persons and the same in office onely the one party sides with the Beast who gives them his power to slay the Witnesses so that these reigning keep the name and power of a Parliament and so they are called the ten Horns and this Rome they keep till the true Parliament which pretendedly was on the beasts head arise and by their powerful prosecution of their Covenant-Reformation shew their hatred to the Whore make her desolate eat her flesh and burn her with fire For certain the rising of the slain Witnesses shall be the downfall of the Beast the Pope and the Devils Kingdom I am not ignorant how remote I am from the common received opinions of the Protestants neither am I ignorant how far they are from the clear light of sacred Text which gives too much occasion to the Romish party in their writings to scorn at their interpretations It were easie to shew the contradictions that they make who interpret these ten Horns to be the ten Kings of Europe but I forbear and only make this the excuse of my prolixity because I easily perceive the great stone which the Protestant Writers stumble at is this last beast that is to rise and raign three years and an half in which time he slays the Witnesses This Beast few of them for ought I can perceive ever dream't of therefore they mistake the Beast rising out of the bottomless pit Rev. 11. 7. the Beast of the Earth Rev. 13. 11. and the eighth Beast Rev. 17. 11. to be the Pope and these ten Horns to be the ten Europian Kingdoms which are all gross mistakes and the causes of greater in most of their Writings Having thus by the good grace of the Holy Trinity by these mysterious Texts discovered this last Beast and these last Enemies of the Church I trust he that is not spiritually blind will say Surely these Scriptures are fulfilled in our eyes this day Was there not a glorious Reformation began and though with much danger and difficulty yet clearly carryed on Read but the Assemblies Works read the good Ordinances made by the Parliament for the carrying of it on read the Covenant and then say whether there was not a glorious Reformation began nay did not the King give his Royall assent to this Reformation and did not the Parliament close with these Concessions and then even then on a sudden when these Witnesses had finished their Testimony then ariseth this Beast and over throws this Reformation by slaying the Witnesses which had finished their Testimony By this the Reader may see my confidence upon Scripture-bottome that these are the times and this is the place and the Magistracy and Ministery of England are the witnesses that now are slaying and this Power now tyrannizing over the Church is that Power that slayes the Witnesses and the Beast that set up this Power together with the Power that he hath erected shall gather all their strength against the Lamb that is against the true Saints which in sincerity worship Christ and there the mighty hand of God shall appear to the utter ruining and confounding of them then shall the Witnesses arise and take up that Reformation which hath lien dead three years and an half and shall carry it on without any more opposition and all this shall begin to be done I do not say finished neere about this present year 1651. These I have more largly discoursed of in the ensuing Tract yet not at large because I expect to have it answer'd by some of the Time-serving Champions especially Docter Homes whom I take to be the learned'st Saint of them all in this study and he hath got him almost as great a name amongst the ignorant Crew for a Prophet as Lillie the Hedg-Prophet who Jispsie-like gets his living by telling fortunes as Lillie so doth this Doctor make his Oracle speak to the humour of the Times as that infamous Priest of Apollo out of base flattery made the Oracle {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} So doth the blasphemous wretch indeavour to make the Holy Oracles of the Scriptures {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that is to humour the usurping Trayterous bloudy Hereticks of the Times and with more subtilty then any of his fellows It behoveth Christians to observe some mens Designs more then others and to
That Christ ordained a Government and that potestas ordo power and order are essentiall in that Government â—o Divines do deny but the Modus titulus in this government is that which as yet lies disputable Some say this government ought to be Aristocraticall Of this opinion is that holy and learned Calvin which I wonder at his grounds for it are because he thinks the ancient government of the Jewes was Aristocratical but the sandy foundation of this opinion shews us the weakness of this Argument For there is nothing more clear then that Israels government from their deliverance out of Egipt to their captivity in Babylon was Monarchical if Supaemacy in one be Monarchy so that out of the rains of Calvins Argument will arise a firm Argument Thus if the examples of Civill-government under the Gospel must be according to that under the Law for there the force of Calvins argument lies then Monarchy is the government that must be erected in the time of the Gospel but we pass this Hierom is of opinion which he grounds on Dan. 7.18 That when the great Day of Gospel-Reformation shall come i. e. when the Roman Monarchy is destroyed then saith he all Kingdoms shall be thrown down and there shall be no government at all onely the Communion of the Saints But this Opinion as 't is much built upon these Times so 't is built on a sandy foundation upon a mistake in the interpretation of Dan. 7. 18. and it is absolutely contradictory to these prophetick promises of uniting the two Tribes and the ten Tribes under one King or government i. e. making them as at first one Kingdom under one King and against those Texts which promise to the Jews That in the Gospel-dayes amongst the Gentile-Gospellers He will raise up Kings to be their nursing Fathers and Queens to be their nursing Mothers and many other texts therfore we pass this also The noble and most learned Hebrews for the most part conclude That God will call them again and make them a famous Monarchy So that the worst of them hold that Monarchy shall continue untill the end of the world indeed Levie Ben Gerson an Hebrew upon the first of Sam. 8. pleads for Aristocracie and to advance it he like the Serpent bites Kingly-Government by the heel like as the Prelates on the one hand and the Independents on the other hand plead against Presbytery so doth he against Monarchy For he picks up the excrements of the Kings of Judah and Israel and from their illsavouring infirmities conclude therefore their government is such as their infirmities were which is such a childish weak way of arguing that it deserves no answer As if because the Priests were naught therefore their Office must be naught or because a Sacrifice was lame therefore the Temple was naught or as if because the image on the gold is defaced therefore the gold is naught this is peevish-childishness therefore we pass that also and come to the question Whether Christ ordained Monarchy to be in the Gospel Church To that we answer negatively as to the Title 1. No King on Earth since Christs incarnation to this day can shew an extraordinary or immediate Call from God to be King as David could and Solomon could for he was chosen King by God before he was born 2. There is no King since Christ that can say he hath a naturall right to his Kingdom Succession that ended in Christ who had a true Title by natural succession to be Monarch of the World as descending from Adam Luk. 3. and a natural right to the Monarchy of the Jews as descending of Abraham Matth. 1. So that Christ onely is naturally according to the flesh by succession the King of the Jews and Gentiles and in this sence is Rom. 5. 14. to be understood where Adam is said to be a Type of him to come that is as he was Monarch of the World by divine institution and naturall right so that he that claims since Christs incarnation by a natural right the Monarchy of the World or Kingdom of the Jews usurps the Office of Christ for Christ onely is Monarch of the world by a natural descent and in this respect he is both King and Priest after the order of Melchisedeck for Melchisedeck was without beginning of dayes or end of time in respect both of his Priestly and Kingly Office without beginning of dayes that is in respect of his pedegree for he was both King and Priest by naturall succession from Seth the son of Adam which was time out of mind For none at that time were able to tell the antiquity of his descent who by birth was both Monarch and Priest and then this Melchisedeck was without end of time For neither the Kingly Office nor the Priestly Office were extinct in the Church untill Christ came in whom met both the Kingly the Priestly and the Prophetick Office this Christ was according to the flesh the naturall son of Melchisedeck who having carried up to heaven with him his humane nature sits a King a Priest and a Prophet in that nature in heaven for ever on his Churches behalf and in this sense Melchisedecks offices are without end of time for our King and our Priest is ascended up into heaven where he makes continuall intercession for us so that since him there is no succession of Monarchs by lineall descents but Magistracy is not made null under the Gospell because it ceaseth in respect of a naturall title by succession For God hath ordained by his approving providence other ways of erecting Monarchs then by succession or immediate call as David was Monarch over the countries round about him not by succession nor by an immediate call from God but by conquest so that the great Office of Monarchy may lawfully come in at other doors though the door of succession and immediate calling from God be shut But this is not the question That Christ hath not abolished Monarchy under the Gospel nothing is more clear For government is a morall thing and stands as sure as the fifth Commandement Now Monarchy is Gods government therefore it stands firm with the fifth Commandement which Laws he came not to make void but establish We may truly argue therfore for Monarchy under the Gospel by an argument taken à fortiori For if under the Law God gave to his Church Monarchicall government much more doth that great blessing belong to the Gospel Church Paul exhorts that prayers especially be made for Kings that they might be converted that so under them the Church might lead a peaceable life so that Kings were to be brought in under the Gospel as well as others It is true indeed there was not immediately after Christs ascension a visible established Magistracy in the Church because the Church was not then established Besides there was no need of Magistracy at that time for Christ the absolute Monarch of heaven and earth by a true and
together with whatsoever the German Norman Burgundian Castalian and French atchievements with the intermarriage which eight hundred years had acquired incorporated and brought back into the old Royall Line Hence then I prove if Henry VII were the lawfull Successor of the British Kings then he was the lawfull Successor of Constantine King of England who conquered Rome and if Henry VII be the lawfull Successor of Constantine then those lawfully descended of Henry VII but this lawfull Family of the Stuarts are lawfully descended of Henry VII ergo The Stuarts are the lawfull Successors of Constantine the Great the first Christian Emperor of Rome there are very many other waies which to some seem clearer whereby to prove this truth If so know Oh Rome that the Lion of the North thy lawfull Emperor and true Christian Magistrate will suddainly arise to the utter confusion of that bloudy usurping Prelate which by his subtill treacheries hath caused the lawfull Magistrate the lawfull Emperor of Rome drove into this Wildernesse where in sackcloth the office hath continued having finished that prophetick testimony in the year 1648. to become a slain Witnesse for Christ the other office of the Ministery lying dead ever since but the three years and an half of their lying dead is almost expired and then the same Offices shall arise to the eternall ruine of the Pope and Popish Idolatry but no more of this in this place I hope some Antiquaries will be so truly Noble that they will plead a distressed Kings cause and clear this Title of his which is doubtlesse to them an easie thing and may procure them great renown in after Ages for my part I shall say no more of it in print unlesse I am challenged and then if no body will take up the Cudgells in the Quarrell I am resolved neque clipeum objicere neque causam deserere though indeed I have as much upon my weak arme as I am well able to beare well able to doe I say I professe my selfe as in the undertaking so in the defending of so great a cause as I have taken in hand utterly unable without the Divine hand to support me The reason why I have discoursed so much of Monarchy is because I am fully perswaded that the great Reformation to be wrought amongst Jewes and Gentiles shall be wrought by Monarches when God shall open the eyes of the Jewes to know assured that the Lord Jesus is their true and naturall Monarch according to the flesh and their naturall Priest that is by Birth-right as Melchisedech was then shall they look on him whom they have pierced and mourn over him they shall then be converted Now this conversion is designed in that Gospell Epistle written to the twelve Tribes called the Epistle to the Hebrewes As the knowledge of their true Monarch and Priest shall work wonderfull conversion amongst the Hebrews so the knowledge of a lawfull Magistracy and a lawfull Ministery shall work a wonderfull change at the same time amongst the Gentile Churches who are now overwhelmed with the cruell tyranny of the usurping Prelaticall power of Rome A lawfull Monarch rising shall be the instrument of a glorious Gospel-reformation of restoring the Witnesses and of the overturning of the Roman Empire in its pontifick Head Much of this opinion is that Dutch Divine in his Clavis Apocalyptica to whom Iohn Durie the Scotch man binds himself as in a Dutch duell where he falls to stick and snee with him for saith the Dutch Divine in pag. 89. A high Potentate amongst Evangelicall Professors shall arise and be exalted to the terror of the Papists and shall open again a free course to the Gospell and reestablish the exiled and oppressed Gospellers And Iohn Durie out of the sootie region of a dark intellect gives us this dark notion in p. 70. which he cals the Preface to this Dutchmans Book intending that the Reader should put on his black spectacles to read the Dutchmans white Booke withall I believe saith John Durie that we shall not have any great earthly Potentate at all ever to appear for the Lamb in this battell but that they shall joyn alwayes against the lamb-like nature of the Saints to oppose and destroy it How can two be more contrary I must leave them though I leave Iohn in the dark who participates more of the man of his countrey then of the nature of his Countrymen There are some questions that betray ignorance rather then discover wit as this say some How can it be said that in Henry 8. dayes when the Abbies were pulled down in Q. Elizabeths dayes when the Kingdom it flourished and Religion prospered and was countenanced and so in King Iames's time How can the Witnesses be said then to be in sackcloth In part we have answered to this elswhere but let such take this as one great part of the answer let them read diligently the history of our Nation since Henry the sevenths time and observe the counterworkings of the Pope against the Protestant Reformers and they will say they were in sackcloth I shall conclude this Preface with a short discourse of our former reformations not so much by way of information as premonition to him whom it concerns The objects of every reformation have either been civill 〈◊〉 â—â—clesiastick matters A civill reformation hath respect either to the offices in the State or to the Laws in the State the office of State in the Head hath been unquestionable in all ages except in times of rebellion or usurpation and then not the office but the persons in the office have been aspersed and questioned In all which ungodly actions the Pope and the Popish Clergie alwayes had a hand Indeed the Popes have grapled with the supremacy of Kings and usurped a supremacy in this Kingdom over the Kings in Ecclesiastick affairs and in that respect their offices have been questioned but the Kings of England never yeelded up their right to the Pope but kept the supremacy of Church and State affairs in their own hands not only since the Norman line came in but in the time of the Saxon Kings as appears by many of their Lawes and Charters which respect the Clergie wherein the King as Head of the Church doth Ecclesiastica authoritate dispose of the Rites of the Church and the great Offices thereto belonging promoting some and debarring others whom they please from the office of Archbishop or Bishop This supremacy the Norman Kings kept which was mostly the ground of this quarrell betwixt the Kings of England and the Popes who were the cause of the English Kings wearing Sackcloth for the Popes never suffered them to live quietly but alwayes either raised their own subjects to rebell against them or foraigne Princes to invade them but most commonly the Pope sets the Religious Houses against the King for there the Pope kept the Band-dogs to werry Royalty when it opposed this supremacy The insolency strength and wealth of the Clergie caused