of Expositors to make good their own conceits Esdras 14.41 to run unto tropes and figures when we may literally without tropes expound the same more agreeable unto the truth and without violence unto the Text therefore I conceive that the two Testaments cannot with any probability be understood by these two witnesses that are said to be killed by the beast and especially because they cannot be said to be the two Olive Trees or the anointed ones nor the two Candlesticks that hold up the light when as they are the light that these Candlesticks do hold nor to be confined to such a time as 1200 and 60 dayes when these two Testaments maugre all the malice of the Antichrist shall continue to the last day And therefore I do rather expound these two witnesses to be the preservers and the interpreters or preachers of these two Testaments that being living creatures Who are these two Witnesies that is 1. The King 2. The Bishop may be killed by this Beast and these are rightly termed the two Olive Trees or the two Sonnes of Oyl that is the anointed of God and the two Candlesticks that stand before the God of the Earth that is to hold up the light of the two Testaments to inlighten the Church of God with the truth of his holy word in despight of the Devill which is termed the God of the Earth And these preservers and Interpreters of these two Testaments are as E. H. truly observeth 1 Pet. 2.13 the civill Magistrates and the Ecclesiasticall Governours of Gods Church that is Moses and Aaron or the King as the supreme Magistrate and the Bishop as the chief Pastor that hath the oversight of the rest of the subordinate Ministers as St. Paul sheweth 1 Tim. 3. c. 4.1 for the King is custos utriusque tabulae the defender of the faith and obliged to take care as well of the Church and service of God as of the Commonwealth All good Kings took speciall care to have God truly served so Moses testifieth and so David Solomon Jehosophat Ezechias Josias and all the godly and good Kings of Israel and Judah had and so Constantine Theodosius and our own pious Princes Queen Elizabeth King James and King Charles and all other good Christian Kings shewed that they took speciall care to see the truth purely preached and the service of God duly and rightly executed and therefore may most truly and literally without any trope or figure be said to be one of these two witnesses of Jesus Christ and the Bishop is to take upon him curam animarum the speciall care and charge of souls and the charge of them that are under him Act. 20.18 and undertook the charge of souls to see that they do carefully feed the flock of Christ whereof the Holy ghost hath made them overseers and therefore also the Bishops and the Ministers of Gods word may be rightly said and none can deny it to be the other witnesses of Jesus Christ and so Christ saith unto his Apostles and in them to all the Bishops that were to succeed the Apostles that they were his Witnesses Act. 1.8 and they should testifie and bear witness of him in Hierusalem and unto the uttermost parts of the Earth which they themselves could not do but in and by those Bishops that succeeded them in all the ordinary duties of the Apostles and therefore no forehead were it of Brasse can deny these to be the witnesses of Christ without blushing when Christ himself doth affirm it And so you see plainly Zechary 4.14 that these two which are indeed the Sonnes of the Olive Tree the two onely Offices and Callings that are the annointed of God and the two Candlesticks that hold up the light of the two Testaments the King by the strength of his Sword and the Bishops by the faithfull preaching of Gods word are the two witnesses of Jesus Christ and therefore well may the King and the inferiour Magistrates under him and the Bishop with his subordinate Clergy like Moses and Aaron the supreme Magistrate and the High Priest be rightly termed the two Witnesses of Jesus Christ in every Kingdom and Commonwealth Then after that the Angell had intimated unto the Apostle c. 11. v. 4. who are to be understood by these two Witnesses by terming them the two Olive Trees that is the two annoynted Officers of Gods Church and the two Candlesticks that do beare and uphold the true light of the Gospel unto the people he proceeds to shew the Power and Abilities c. 11. v. 5. 6. the gifts and Endowments that God would bestow upon them both for to inable them to build up the Temple that was measured that is to edifie and to enlarge the Christian Church and also to protect themselves against their Enemies and to punish those that should be refractory and to shew for how long a time they should freely and fairely enjoy this power and liberty to build this Church for saith the Angel these two Witnesses shall have power to poewr out fire out of their mouth Numbers 16. 2 Reg. 1. Jerem. 5.14 Their power was the same as Christ gave to his Apostles and God to Moses to destroy their Enemies that go about to hurt them and they shall have power to shut the Heavens that it raine not in the dayes of their Prophesie and they shall have power over waters to turn them to blood and to smite the earth with all Plagues as often as they will And these powers and Abilities are the very same that Christ had formerly given unto his Apostles and their successors the Bishops and Governors of his Church and the very same powers and abilities that God long before had given and granted unto Moses and to all his successors that supply his place and office the Kings and cheif Magistrates that are as he was to rule over and to govern Gods people for our Saviour tells St. Peter that he will give to him the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven that is of the Church which is the way that brings us to the Kingdome of Heaven and whatsoever he shall bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatsoever he shall leose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven and this power he gave not only to St. Peter but also to all the rest of the Apostles and their Successors for ever as you may see in Math. 18. v. 18. and John the 20. v. 23. Math. 16.19 so Mr. Mede part 2. pag 11. And so according to this power granted unto the Apostles and Bishops that are the Governours of the Church and have the Keyes thereof the sentence of Excommunication or the shutting out of the Church and the delivery of the lewd and wicked refractory person unto Satan as the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 5.5 The sentence of excommunication is the fire and the key is the fire that proceedeth out of the mouth of
' Ο ΑÎΤΙΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ The Great ANTICHRIST REVEALED Before this time never discovered AND Proved to be neither Pope nor Turk nor any Single Person nor the Succession of any one Monarch or Tyrant in any Policie BUT A collected pack or multitude of Hypocritical Heretical Blasphemous and most scandalous wicked men that have fulfilled all the Prophesies of the Scriptures which have forespoken of the coming of the great Antichrist and especially have united and combined themselves together by a solemn League and Covenant to slay the two witnesses of God Moses and Aaron as Christ interpreteth them They have Moses and the Prophets Luke 16.29 that is The supreme Magistrate of the Common-wealth and the chief Pastors and Governours of the Church of Christ And the Christian world is requested to judge Whether the Assembly of Presbyterians consulting at Westminster Together with the Independents Anabaptists and Lay-Preachers be not the false Prophet and the mystical soul of that great Antichrist And Whether the prevalent Faction of the long Parliament termed of late the Rump Parl. and their Adherents that killed the two witnesses of Jesus Christ 1. Charles the first King of Great Britain and in him civilly all his Magistrates 2. William Laud Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and civilly all the suppressed Bishops and silenced Preachers of these 3 kingdoms be not the grosse and visible body of the same Antichrist By Gr. Williams L. Bishop of Ossory Impii homines qui dum volunt esse mali nolunt esse veritatem qua condemnantur mali August Me me adsum qui feci in me convertite ferrum Virg. Jehovae Liberatori London Printed at the charge of the Authour 1660. A strong faith fenced with a golden helmet Need not fear the beast his hatchet But his wicked deeds will ring And shew the prayses of the King Whom the cruell beast hath kill'd And all the Prophesies fulfill'd Of our blessed Saviour Christ Touching the accursed Antichrist The Authours Protestation I Call God to be my witnesse and heaven and earth to testifie against me if I aym at any thing or desire any thing by the publishing of these books but the glory of God the true service of Jesus Christ and the good the peace and the happinesse of the Church of Christ and the people of these Kingdomes without envie to any mans good or hatred to any mans person or the ambition and desire of any place profit or preferment for that I thank God I have learned in any state to be contented Et contemnere contemni The Authours Prayers which Morning and Evening he useth to say to Almighty God and to his Saviour Jesus Christ The Authours first addresse to Almighty God Our Father which art in Heaven c. O Eternal Almighty Lord God our good God sweet Saviour Jesus Christ Holy and blessed Spirit glorious Trinity three persons and one God have mercy upon us most miserable sinners have mercy upon us most miserable sinners O Lord God pardon and forgive us all our sins those great and many sins that we have most hainously committed against thy divine Majesty Lord enter not into judgement with us thy servants for no flesh is righteous in thy sight and deal not not with us according to the multitude of our transgressions but according to the multitude of thy mercies and compassion do away our offences and give us thy grace that ever hereafter we may serve thee in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life make us truly thankfull unto thee for all those mercies and favours and loving kindnesses that thou hast continually so graciously and so mercifully bestowed upon us for thou hast created us after thine own image thou hast redeemed us with the precious blood of thy dear Son Jesus Christ and thou hast called us and sanctified us in some measure with the graces of thy most blessed Spirit thou hast delivered us out of all our troubles from all dangers and from the hands of all that hate us from the snare whereunto we were fallen and from those dangerous Sea-voyages wherein we had utterly perished if thou hadst not most mercifully preserved us thou hast given us meanes and maintenance whereby we were inabled to serve thee and thou hast restored the same to us again when we had utterly lost it thou hast given us faith to believe in thy Son Jesus Christ hope to attain to eternal life love and charity both towards thee and our neighbours for thy sake repentance for our former sins and a resolution ever hereafter to lead a holy and a godly life thou hast blest us in all our wayes prospered all our journeys delivered us from all evill helped us in all our necessities preserved us in health and restored thy servants to life when they were at the point of death for all which and for all other thy mercies and loving kindnesses both spiritual and temporal we heartily praise thy glorious name and magnify thee with all our souls we honour thee we blesse thee we praise thee we thank thee and we will magnify thee for the same for ever and ever And we do most humbly beseech thee of thy goodnesse O Lord to continue still thy loving kindnesse towards us and to preserve us still from all evill and mischief from all sin from the crafts and assaults of the devil from thy wrath and from everlasting damnaation save and defend us from shame reproach and discredit in this world from violent and sudden death and from the malice and hatred of all our enemies O let them never prevail against us let them never have the upper hand over us and let them not say There there so would we have it neither let them say We have devoured them but be thou with us be our helper and defender be our shield and our buckler be our strong Tower whereunto we may alwayes resort and we will not fear what man can do unto us We pray thee also good God give me wisdom and understanding O Lord I beseech thee give me wisdom and understanding memory boldnesse and utterance help and assist me at all times and in all places to preach thy holy word for the glory of thy name and the benefit of thy people And as thou hast helped and assisted me the last time and all other times heretofore for which I do heartily praise and thank thy glorious name so I do most humbly beseech thee to help and assist me the next time and at all other times hereafter that I may set forth thy praise and glory blesse O Lord the holy Catholick Church blesse and preserve thy servant Charles that is our lawful King and all the servants of Jesus Christ that are with him comfort them now after the time thou hast chastised them and for the years wherein they have suffered adversity give them patience to endure whatsoever thou layest upon them and in thy good time deliver them out of all their troubles and restore them to their
the Divines into their Cloysters which was the Churches Heaven upon Earth and he will not so part with her Mr. Mede pag. 40. What is meant by the War of Michael and his Angels against the Dragon and his Angels as there to let her escape free from his assault but be will now prosecute another kind of Combate with her which he had only begun before when he saw himself like to be worsted in the former conflicts and that Combate shall be not as E. H. and Mr. Mede do imagine the bloody Warrs of the persecuting Tyrants which was already past and the Dragon failed of his purpose therein but bellum dogmaticum a verball Warr that is a spirituall Scholastick and Ecclesiasticall War like the Pharsalian civil War of the Romans when a Kingdome is divided amongst it self which is the Worst and most dangerous of all Wars and so is this Ecclesiasticall War that the Hereticks and their grand Captaines the Proselites of Arius Nestorius Eutyches Pelagius Manichaeus Aerius the Trinitarians Millenaries and the rest of that litter did still prosecute to molest the Church of Christ And my reasons to prove this War to be no Bloody War The hereticall War but rather a spirituall and Ecclesiasticall War are these Reason 1 1. Because this War is said to be in Heaven which cannot signifie the seat and place of the Blessed Angels and of the Saints departed out of this life because that neither War nor sorrow nor any other trouble can come there and therefore the seat of this War must be not the World simply considered which is never called Heaven but the Church of God which is the Christians Heaven here upon Earth and the Arke that carrieth us through the Seas of this World into the Eternall Heaven and therefore this War being said to be rather in the Church then in the World when as our Saviour speaking of our bloody Wars saith in the World you shall have Tribulations must needs be an Ecclesiasticall Hereticall and no bloody War no worldly War Reason 2 2. Because it is said that Michael and his Angels that is Christ and the true Bishops and Pastors of his Church that are called the Angels of the Churches and not Michael and his Princes Revelat. 1.20 fought against the Dragon and his Angels and not as it is said in Daniel that he affisted his Angel against the King of Persia but with the Dragon and his Angels Dan. 10.13 that is the Devil and his false Prophets the Hereticks that molested the Church and corrupted the true faith and the right Service of God and yet as their Master the Devil transformeth himself into an Angel of light as the Apostle speaketh so will the false Prophets be deemed and esteemed Angels but this Heavenly Angel tells us they are the Angels of the Dragon that make this War with the Angels of Christ Reason 3 3. And lastly because that in this War we find none slaine nor any blood spilt as they were under the persecuting Tyrants as well the Arian Kings as the Pagan Emperors and therefore this War must needs be understood of no Forreigne bloody War but of a Verball spirituall Warr waged within the bosome of the Church that happened after the death of Theodosius who had freed the Church from all externall Wars and bloody persecutions but could not stop the mouth of the false Prophet nor hinder the Dragon and his Angels to raise and prosecute this Hereticall War And yet now How the Church prevailed against the Hereticks as the Woman formerly prevailed in the first War against the bloody Instruments of the Dragon that were vanquished in patientia Martyrum through the patience of the Martyrs and the sufferings of the Saints so here in this second War she gets the Victory over her Enemies and the Dragon is overcome c. 12. v. 11. by the blood of the Lamb and his Angels vanquished by the word of their Testimony v. 11. that is the Hereticks and Scismaticks were confuted and silenced in prudentia Doctorum by the Wisdome of the Bishops that were the Governours of the Church and by their learned writings and faithfull Preaching of Gods truth and not with the Sword or Cannon shot or any other such outward force which the Angels of Jesus Christ the Ministers of the Gospel never use as the Angels of the Dragon do and now did in many places because they are commanded with St. Peter to put up their Sword into the sheath and it is for none but the satellites of the high Priests Math. 26.52 and the Jannizaries of the Antichrist to come out against Christ and to fight against his Witnesses with Swords and Staves Then Mr. Mede pag. 40. Michael significat quis sicut deus certe nullus nifi Jesus Christus the Dragon being by Michael that is by the power and Wisdome of God that is Jesus Christ which Michael fignifieth and not by any one of the chief Princes or of the seven Arch Angels as Mr. Mede thinketh cast out of Heaven that is driven from the Church as he did the buyers and sellers out of the Temple when all the errors heresies and superstitions which the Devil by his prime Angells the Heresiarches had invented and sowed amongst Gods people were confuted and rooted out of these our reformed Churches and these Churches restored to their Pristine purity and setled in the right forme of serving God by the painefull diligence of the learned Bishops the Pastors and the Protestant Preachers of Gods word which was fairly begun in Queen Elizabeths time The Victory in this War when obtained continued and bettered in King James his Reign but not clearly done and perfectly finished untill King Charles his dayes nor any where so purely done as in these our dominions as I have fully proved unto you before there ensued a two-fold act or a double consequence of this great Victory of Michael and his Angels over the Dragon and his Angels 1. The Tryumph rejoycing and Jo-paean of the Conquerors The twofold Consequence of the Church his Victory over the Hereticks cap. 12.11 the Inhabitants of Heaven 2. The fretfull wrath and continued malice of the Conquered Dragon 1. In Heaven that is in the Church of God as I said before St. John heard a loud voyce saying now is come Salvation and strength and the Kingdome of our God and the power of his Church c. 12. v. 10. where you must first observe the Emphasis in the word now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now is Salvation come and it was come long before when Christ had fully purchased our Redemption before his Ascention into Heaven but I conceive this Salvation to be meant not of our spirituall and eternall Salvation from Sin Hell and Satan which was come by Christ long before but for our Temporall Salvation and deliverance from the power and malice of our Enemies and that was now come that is fully and perfectly
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
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
and multiply by the means of Constantine And 2. The Reformation of this Church better then any other Church by the means of those holy Martyrs and godly Bishops that did the same he was fully resolved to be revenged upon this Church of Great Brittain Therefore as not long after Constantines times he stirred up the Picts the Scots the Danes and the Saxons to punish plague and tyrannize over the poor Brittains as it appeareth by the lamentable address that they made unto the Romans for their aid and help against their enemies for the first good service they had done to the honor of God How the devil revengeth the good service that this Iland did to Christ so immediately after that those godly Reformers of this Church had rooted out those evil weeds of Errors and Superstition that the Devil had planted therein he stirred up Penry Martin Marprelate Cartwright Broughton and divers others that in Q. Maryes dayes fled beyond seas to save their lives and there suckt that transmarine poyson that infected both their own and many other mens soules to make invectives against our Church far worse and more bitter than all the Actions that Cicero did against Verres or his Philippicks against M. Antonius to revenge the second good service that this Iland had done to Christ And these that were reasonable good Schollars but fiery mad and furious men did through their violent proceedings get so many Proselites and Disciples after them that as S. Bernard saith of the former Hereticks in a very short space numeri eorum multiplicati sunt super numerum they increased like the rats of Egypt that do super-faetare beget young ones before they be delivered of their old brood And this grand host of his Instruments the Devil perswaded and egged them forward to prosecure their enterprise and never to give over and desist untill they should effect these 3 things The three especial things that the devil perswaded his instruments to effect 1. Unking the Kingdome and make it like the Israelites after the time of the Judges that every man might do what seemed right in his own eyes 2. Unbishop the flock of Christ that the foxes wolves and other savage beasts the Hereticks and Scismaticks might destroy them at their pleasure and so 3. To unchurch this formerly pure and famous Church of great Brittain and to cause it totally to apostatize from the true faith of Gods elect to be divorced from Christ and to be no wayes answerable to the usual and right definition of a true visible Church to which the infidels and unbelievers being converted might be incorporated And then after that they had more than desperately opposed their King and risen up against the pious Defender of the true faith he perswaded them that if he would not consent to defile that faith to abolish the right form of Gods worship to corrupt the Christian Religion and to destroy the witnesses of Christ the governors and upholders of Gods truth in this so well reformed Church with fire and sword to war against him and never leave untill they should bring him to a bitter death and a glorious martyrdome and after that they had like Jannes and Jambres withstood their Governors and cashiered their Bishops and supprest the Articles and Liturgy of the Church he perswaded them to fill the same Church with damnable Heresies not privily as the Apostle saith the former Hereticks would do but most openly How Satan perswaded his instruments to fill the Church with all impiety and villany in the sight of the sun and at last as our Saviour saith out of Daniel to bring the abomination of desolation that is such abominable blasphemies heresies errors and absurd opinions among the people and such wicked deeds of perjury oppression pride lasciviousness and the like corruptions of Gods true service that do more highly provoke the wrath of God than all the sinnes of ignorance negligence or infirmity and cause him to bring utter ruine and desolation upon any Kingdome to stand in the holy place that is in the Churches Chappels and all other consecrated and holy places that were dedicated for the true service of God and for the people of God that did formerly truly and holily serve the Lord in those places And this the Devil did to this end videlicet That so the Kingdome being without a King the flock of Christ without Pastors and the Church of Christ without her Discipline and true Doctrine he might raise that cruel beast which S. John saw rising out of the sea from these narrow seas and bring up the great Antichrist out of this pure Church of great Brittain to root out the true service of God to be the plague of his servants and the death of his saints and to be fully revenged on this Iland for the twofold displeasure it had done to him before Now whether Satan hath by his Instruments done all this or not I leave it to the wise and judicial impartial Reader to determine it only I finde that Mr. Alexander Rose in his animadversions against Mr Hobbs his Leviathan p 18 Alexander Ross saith the Instruments of Satan brought such abominable blasphemies heresies errors and absurd opinions among the people more in these few years than were all the time hitherto since christianity was imbraced which is a shreud suspicion if not an infallible proof that the great Antichrist is come amongst us CHAP. III. That the Antichrist is no single Person but a Collected Multitude of men Who those men might be Of the Grand Apostasie whereof the Apostle speaketh that made way and opened the Door wide for the Antichrist to enter in That it is neither the Apostacy of the Prime Hereticks nor of the East Churches nor of the Roman Church but of some purely Reformed Particular Church supposed to be and demanded if it be not the Church of Great Brittain BUT here it is a great Question among the Learned Whether the Antichrist be one sing le Person or else a multitude of men either succeeding one another or collâ—cted together whether this Great Antichrist be one single and singular Person or a certain Polity Kingdom or Multitude of men Hyperius saith Est multitudo aliqua diversi sibi invicem succedentes qui unum quodammodo Antichristi vastum corpus efficiunt It is a multitude of men succeeding one another which after a sort do all make up the vast Body of the Antichrist and so saith Tilenus and all those that would have the Pope to be the Antichrist Brightman saith the Antichrist must be understood to be a wicked Kingdom Rule or Dominion which he affirmeth to be not the Kingdom of Ingland which in his time indeed could not be but the Papacy the Roman Hierarchy and the Rule and Dominion of the Pope Tilenus exeg de Antichristo p. 9. Achor is 66. in Italy France Spain or wheresoever his Jurisdiction reacheth and Mr. Mede Mr. Potter and
speaketh evidently that in the later times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 4.1 some shall depart from the faith and so in Acts 21.21 it is said they heard of thee quod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that thou teachest a defection or discession from Moses that is from the lawes and Ordinances of Moses and so Theodoret calleth this apostasie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a secession and departure from God which is the last step and period of our rebellion against the King or civil Magistrate And this falling away from God and from Gods service must be of such men as formerly have made shew to be the true subjects unto their Governors and the Professors of the Gospel of Christ and the obedient children of his Church because apostasie or rebellion is a falling away off and from that which we either were or seemed to be before as subjects that pretend obedience and not strangers of another kingdome are said to rebell against their Governors This Apostafie is of such as have professed the Gospel which strangers never acknowledged to be their Governors but as Julian was termed the Apostata because that during all the time of his Predecessor Constantius he professed himself a Christian and afterwards when he himself came to be the Emperor he renounced the faith of Christ fell into the Heathenish idolatry and persecuted all the best Christians and therefore this Apostasie cannot be ascribed to Caius Caligula as some think because that he being bred up in Idolatry cannot be said to depart from the worship of the true God which he never professed nor can it indeed be ascribed to any manner of men The Turks and Papists cannot be guilty of this Apostasie but to such as have receded and departed from that faith and service of God which they professed or seemed to profess before and therefore also the Turks that are bred in the Mahometan Religion and the Papists that are misled up in idolatry and superstition cannot be guilty of this apostasie nor be said to apostatize and to depart from the true faith and service of God because they never had it nor profest it for how can he be said to depart from the truth that never knew nor understood the truth or how can any man be said to depart and recede from London that never was in London therefore it is most certain that this apostasie is a discession and departure from that true faith and service of God Object which men professed or seemed to profess before E. H. de apostas pag. 36. cornel â—lapide in loc And whereas E. H. and some others say that this Apostacy whereof the Arostle speaketh here 2 Thes 2.3 must be understood of an universal and a general Apostasie universalis defectis as Cornelius à lapide termes it an universel falling away that is of all the particular national Churches in the world both the Western and the Eastern Churches because the Apostle speaks indefinitely and limiteth not the apostasie to this or that particular Church Solut. I answer with the leave of so great and so learned a Clerk as Cornel. à lapide is that as here the Apostle intendeth not to speak of the Antichrists in general when as then Eusebius l. 3. c. 7. l. 4. c. 14. Apoc. c. 2. Clemens Alexand Stromat lib. 3. in his time there were many Antichrists as St. John sheweth such as were the Ebionites Cerinthians Marcionites Nicholaitans and the like but he speaketh of an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a particular Antichrist that should be an Antichrist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and a more eminent egregious Antichrist than all other precedent or subsequent Antichrists whatsoever were or should be so he meaneth here by this Apostacy not every petty apostacy or single Heresie or any small and little stubbornness of some particular Churches that should fall away and rebel against their Governours and Teachers and so make a defection from some Points of the true Faith or corrupt the Profession and Faith of Christ by their evil Manners and wicked Conversations as in St. Pauls time the Church of Corinth did by denying the Resurrection prophaning the Lords Supper and suffering the incestuous Corinthian to communicate amongst them which was no small apostasie And in St. Johns time the Churches of Asia did not much less than the Church of Corinth fall away from the Truth but the Apostle would have us to understand that the Day of the Lord shall not come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 until there shall come that falling or the falling away first that is such and so great so eminent and so full a falling away and so foul a rebellion against their Governours and from the Faith of Christ and the true Service of God as the like rebellion and falling away from the Truth and specially from the right worshipping of God was never known before in any Church Greek or Latine Eastern or Western Church nor ever shall the like be seen after it until the day of Christ his coming And this the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the Apostle â—peaketh of some particular eminent rebellion and apostasie of some particular well reformed Church and not of a general apostasie of the Catholick Church against which the gates of Hell shall never prevail Mat. 16.18 set before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth sufficiently shew unto us that as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth deâ—gn and particularize some great transcendent Antichrist so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth shew a particular and a most egregious foul and enormous Apostasie and so the meaning of the Apostle in few words seems to be this that before the day of the Lord that is the great day of Judgment there shall arise a grand rebellion against the Governours of the people and against the Pastors and Discipline of the Church and a huge apostasie defection and falling away from the true Faith of Christ and especially from the form of wholsom Doctrine and the right worship and usually accustomed and received Service of God And then when you see such an unnatural rebellion as the like was scarce ever known if ever and such a corruption of the true Doctrine of Christ and opposition to the chief Governours of the Church as the like was never seen in any age nor found in any other Church nor read in any History the whole Church of Christ and all the Servants of God then in being may know for certain that an exceeding great Antichrist greater than any of all the other former Antichrists that were seen before will arise in that Church which formerly was the best and purest Reformed Church of all other Reformed Churches though now it doth recede and thus apostatize from the Faith of Christ and her own former purity And after the Coming and appearance of that Great Antichrist and the Tragical Acts that he shall do within a while and some short space best known to God how long
of that is such a rebellion as Corah Dathan and Abiram stirred up against Moses and Aaron and such a discession and falling away from the true faith and the right service of God which they formerly professed as neither leaves the fundamentals of Christian Religion undigged up or unshaken nor the appearance of a true visible Church among the people For that all the people of Ingland were very faithfull and loyal Subjects and most respectively obedient unto their Governors both their Kings and their Bishops That the people of Ingland were good subjects true believers and right worshippers of God during all the raign of Q. Elizabeth King James and many years of King Charles as any Nation under heaven I think I do verily believe no man can justly deny So likewise that all the subordinate Clergy did ex animo subscribe and unfainedly profess to uphold and maintain the 39 Articles of the Church of Ingland and the established Discipline thereof and did accordingly for well nigh a century of years use to teach the people to believe that Doctrine and to observe that discipline as the true Christian Faith and the right Government that Christ and his Apostles for the preservation of that faith hath left unto his Church and also that the people and Congregations throughout all this Kingdome had the true faith preached unto them and the right service of God the 3 authentick Creeds repeated the Lords Prayer used the 10 Commandments published the 2 blessed Sacraments administred and all the other prayers and service of God that the Governors of Gods Church prescribed were observed practised and professed by them I am very sure and consident hereof and I believe no man will gainsay the same And therefore this Church had and did profess the true faith and Doctrine of Christ and did use to serve God rightly and to be obedient to their Governors both Magistrates and Ministers for many years according to the form prescribed unto them And you may remember how you read in Revel 6.9 that the soules which S. John saw under the altar and cryed to God to avenge their blood on them that dwell on the earth are said to be slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held and why I pray you doth the holy Ghost make such a distinction betwixt the word of God and the testimony which they held but to shew unto us that these soules had collected out of the Bible which containeth all the word of God the chiefest heads and points that are to be known believed and practiced for the true worship of God and their own Salvation and so compiled an abstract of Gods word into another book which is here called their testimony and that is the communion Book or Book of Common-prayer and publick service of God which is sometimes called the Book of life Revel 22.19 and ch 20.21 as Revel 20.12 and Revel 22.19 where you may observe how mention is there made of 2 special Books and the one is termed the book of this prophesie which is the word of God and the other is termed the book of life because the sum and the substance of all that is in the Bible which is the word of God and which is necessary to attain unto Eternal life is contained in this book of their testimony for which book and the constant practice of Gods service according to this book as well as for the other book of the word of God those faithfull soules were slain and it is well known the Presbyâ—erians caused the Parliament to destroy us for the testimony that we held of these Books but the Answer that God gives unto these slaughtered soules may serve for a sufficient comfort unto us yet this gives occasion to demand Whether the prevalent faction of the long Parliament and their adherents the Sectaries of these 3 Kingdomes have not hereby resisted their Governors whom formerly they had so religiously observed and rebelled warred killed and beheaded both Moses and Aaron that is the supreme Magistrate and the chief Priest I leave it for my Reader to determine And whether the Assembly of Divines at Westminster and all their followers and Adherents contrary to their former oathes practices and profession have not generally apostatized and totally relapsed and fallen away from the most essential and most material points of our Christian Religion and from all the right service of God which themselves formerly taught and observed and have led their Congregations after them to the same apostasie let the observers of our new teachers what Doctrines are now taught and what service is now used in every Church judg hereof For I read it in Arise Evans Arise Evans in his Voice from heaven pag. 15. that you may easily finde it every foolish man gets up into the Pulpit and poureth out his folly and so now the false Christs and false Prophets do appear for the Independant saith here is Christ the Presbyterian saith loe here is Christ but the Anabaptist saith no he is not amongst you but here is Christ with us 1 Cor. 1.13 and so all the other Sectaries crie and have as the Apostle saith divided Christ And you may consider what Tilenus saith Vetus Ecclesia primis temporibus solo Apostolorum quod vocant symbolo ex sacris literis excerpto contenta erat The ancient Church in the first times was contented only with that faith which they call the Aposties Creed that is taken out of the holy Srciptures this was the faith of the Christians in the Apostles time and this was the sun and the substance and the abstract of all the whole Scripture for so much as concerned the saving faith and this faith contained in this Creed is the Faith of Gods elect and sufficient to save all the elect people of God though afterwards for the suppression of those Hereticks that sprang up to corrupt the same formulam illam per novas formulas ex iisdem sacris litteris collectas luculentius copiosius explicuerunt episcopi The Bishops and he saith not the Presbyters did more fully and more clearly out of the same sacred Scriptures explain that form of faith by other new formes as the point in question Tilenus exegesis pag. 57. aphoris 169. and controverted by the Hereticks did require as First in the Council of Nice then in the Constantinopolitan after in the Ephesine and at length in the Chalcedon Council And the whole Catholique Church and all the particular Churches of God the Greek Church and the Latine Church and every other particular national Church of the world have ever professed to observe and to retain this form of faith thus left to us by the Apostles and thus explained by the reverend and godly Bishops in these Councills and never to discede from the same And yet now That our new Preachers have and do recede from the true faith and the right service of
2. The contradictions of the Popes Their Popes do follow the same steps for Stephan the 6. abrogated all his Predecessors Decrees but Formosus took up his body after his burial for it and cut off two of his fingers and then buried his body again and the next succeeding Popes Theodorus the 2. Ex Polychron Romanus and John the 10. confirmed all the Acts of Formosus but Sergius disannulled them all again and took up Formosus his body and threw the same into Tiber. 3. 3. The contradictions of their Orders The Oppositions among their Orders is never a whit less than betwixt their Popes for the difference betwixt the Dominicans and the Franciscans about the conception of the blessed Virgin Mary the Dominicans holding that she was conceived in original sin and the Franciscans denying the same was so great and their fury was so hot Anno 1476. against each other that Pope Xistus the 4. joyning with the Franciscans burned 4 of the Dominicans for defending that truth Neither are their Schooles free from this fault for the Scotists Ochamists and Thomists could never be reconciled Erasmus in loc contr Laton Alphoas l. 1. c. 6. Genchrard in Chron. untill the Thomists got the conquest and at this day the Seculars and the Jesuits can never agree nor the Jesuits that are indeed the better learned accord well among themselves for Alphonsus de Castro and his Adherents do hold the Council above the Pope but Card. Bellarm. and all his Schollers do hold the contrary and it is observed by Genebrard that there were 20 several Sects and Schismes amongst the Romanists at the same time and others have collected 80 several different Opinions amongst them about that one only point of the Eucharist And I could yet further inlarge this point how they do not all agree in the Doctrine of our Justification nor in many other points beside nor indeed any one of them long with himself quia oportet mendacem esse memorem because the teacher of errors and false Doctrine had need to have a good memory ea falsitatis atque erroris est natura ut nemine repugnante a seipsa tandem juguletur and that is the nature of Error and falsehood that a length it will overthrow it self though there were no man to speak against it and therefore we finde Bellarmine himself confuting and contradicting himself in many places as our learned Bishop Morton hath most excellently observed but I stood too long on this point already 2. 2. The collusion of the Roman Church There Collusion is and especially in former times was such that they did not onely deceive one another but almost all the world besides Presbyter amplectens faeminam presumitur benedicendi causa fecisse and old Lyra saith fit aliquando in Ecclesia dei maxima deceptio in fictis miraculis à sacerdotibus the greatest decepts and cosenage shall happen sometimes in the Church of God by the false and faigned miracles that shall be done by the Priests and so indeed as our Presbyters do now so their Priests and Jesuits by their faigned sanctity false miracles and subtle insinuations into the hearts and bosomes of the vulgar people seduxerunt gentes have seduced them and made them drunk with the wine of their abominations and abominable flatteries 3. 3. The oppression of the Romanists For their oppression vexation and cruelty towards the servants of God it exceeded all humanity and the Chaldean Babylon must not compare with them herein for they did not only vex the children of God and lay heavy yokes upon their necks which was all that Babylon did unto the Israelites but they did also persecute the best Protestants with sword fire and faggot burning them as they did John Hus and Hierom of Prague and take their bones out of their Graves if they cannot lay hands on them alive as they did the bones of Bucer and Phagius in the time of Queen Mary Scaeva sic in manes manibus arma dabant And so they warred Amos 2.1 And as the King of Moab burned the bones of the King of Edom so they raged against the very Ghosts of the Saints And therefore if we had nothing else to say against them but this their cruelty against the Saints and Servants of Christ yet this alone is a sufficient argument to prove their City and Church a Babylon and themselves rather Citizens of Babylon than Members of the Church of Christ for as he that was born after the flesh Galat. 4.29 persecuted him that was born after the Spirit even so it is now saith the Apostle The Church of Christ doth never persecute but doth alwaies suffer Persecution for Christian Religion is to be maintained enlarged and defended non occidendo sed monendo non saevitia sed patientia not by killing but by monishing not by cruelty but by patience nam si sanguine tormentis religionem defendere velis jam non defendetur Lact. l. 1. c. 19. Religion not to be planted by the sword sed polluetur saith Lactantius For if thou wouldst defend Religion with shedding of blood and inflicting torments it is not defended but polluted and thou dost defile it and spoil it in seeking to maintain it And this is plainly seen by the example of Christ himself who neither instituted his Kingdom by any foreible meanes nor would have himfelf defended by any outward power of the sword but biddeth S. Peter to put up his sword into his sheath Matth. 26.52 and he sheweth the reason of it unto the Governour because his Kingdom is not of this world nor like unto the Kingdoms of this world for they are enlarged and defended by force of Armes and by the sword Rom. 10.14 but the Kingdom of Christ is encreased and continued by the reading and the preaching of the word and Faith cometh ex auditu non ex metu by hearing not by threatning ex dono Dei non ex imperio hominum from the Gift of God and not by the Command of any man And therefore S. Bernard saith that suadenda fides non cogenda Faith is to be perswaded and not compelled And S. Paul saith 2 Cor. 10.4 Damasc 3. sent c. 32. that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but spiritual And Damascene saith that the Gospel was preached throughout all the world without weapon armour or Battel by a few naked poor afflicted men and if men believed they saved their souls if not the Apostles were to take none other revenge but to shake off the dust of their feet to be a witness against them that refused their Doctrine Object But the Romanists against this do answer for themselves and say that our Saviour bids his Servants to go to the high waies and compel the people to come into his Wedding that his House might be full Luke 14.23 Solut. I answer 1. That the Word compell doth not alwaies imply
a forcible compulsion but a continual perswasion and an undeniable intreaty and importunity until our request be granted for so the two Disciples going to Emmans Luke 24.29 are said to have compelled or constrained Jesus to stay with them that is by their importunity and not by any forcible way And so we are to compel all men by entreating them with continual importunity to believe in Christ and by him to be reconciled unto God and by captivating their understanding to the obedience of Christ which is the best compulsion in the world 2. I say that we are in some sense to compel them that is quoad media to the nieanes of Faith though not to the Faith it self to come into the House but not to eat to come into the Church but not to believe because this men may do but the other God alone must do And therefore we say with S. Aug. against the Donatists that in this sence Kings within their Kingdoms and every man within his House is to compel and to cause his Children and Servants and all that are under his Jurisdiction to come into the Church to hear the Word of God and to make every one to perform the outward service of God at least in shew so far as man can judge for so the Commandment is that thou shalt keep holy the Sabbath Day and shalt do no manner of work thou and thy Son and thy Daughter thy Man-servant and thy Maid-servant Exod 20. and the Stranger that is within thy Gate But the Church of Rome would compel us to believe what they believe and to profess that we believe whatsoever their Church professeth and this their compulsion is with no light hand as appeareth by their Inquisition and the French Massacre And yet they will answer that they compel no man to believe but only punish those that do erre and revolt from their Belief I confess that some of the Learned do affirm haereses spirituali gladio jugulatas esse that Heresies and apostasies are to be punished only with the spiritual sword and not with the temporal sword of the Civil Magistrate because our Saviour said unto his Disciples John 6.66 67. after he saw many departing from him nunquid vos vultis abire and will you go away likewise As if he said I hold you not use your own judgment and he that will depart let him depart he may go for me And therefore St. Paul doth but excommunicate and deliver such men unto Satan 1 Cor. 5.3 5. that they might learn not to blaspheme to shew unto us that there should be no bloodshed nor temporal punishment for the Faith in the Church of Christ But for the better clearing of this point A twosold consideration to be had about the suppression and punishing of Schismaticks Hereticks and Apostata's 1. Of the time 1. When the Members and true Professors are but few Mat. 13.30 of compelling men to Christianity and to believe I say that great wisdom and discretion is to be adhibited in this case of mens consciences and that a double consideration is to be had herein 1. Of the Time when these Offenders do appear in the Church 2. Of the Persons who they be that do thus offend For 1. There is a time when such Offenders Hereticks or Apostata's should be spared and there is a time when they should be punished and not spared For 1. In the Infancy of the Church that is of any Church when the true orthodox Christians are but few and it may be fewer than the Herericks and Apostata's it is not the safest way to be too severe and rigid against these men but in a Christian policy rather to give some scope to these mens Consciences and so to suffer the Tares to grow with the wheat as our Saviour speaketh 1. Because they are not able being few or fewer to struggle against many And I know no reason why the Roman Catholicks should not be tolerated as well and assoon as Anabaptists and other worser Schismaticks That these times do require some toleration of Religion 2. When the true Professors are many 2. Because their unseasonable severity and rigidness towards these Offenders might be a meanes to raise other enemies against them whereby more wheat should perish than Tares should be destroyed and perhaps hinder those that are in aequilibrio and as yet unsetled to embrace the Truth and that Profession wherein they see so little mediocrity and so much severity used And truly in these very times wherein the true Professors are so few and the Sectaries so many I suppose this gentleness moderation and some scope of Christian Liberty ought to be given until by the goodness of God and a painful preaching of the truth we shall reduce them to the full and perfect imbracing thereof But 2. When any Church is established the Magistrates setled and the true Professors many and plentiful then all such offenders are to be corrected and not permitted to corrupt others and to seduce the weaker sort of the true Professors or otherwise the Christian and civil Magistrate cannot be free from sin if he suffer such offenders to go free from punishment for if he punish Theevery and spare Idolatry the Rebels and Runagadoes from him and not the Revolters from Christ how shall he answer this to God And therefore King Asa gathered both Judah and Benjamin and all the strangers from Ephraim 2 Chron. 15.8 13. Manasses and Symeon and did enact with them that whosoever would not turn from his Idols and his Idolatrous waies to seek the Lord God should be slain Exod. 32. â—7 And Moses caused them to be put unto the sword that had worshipped the Golden Calf And Jehu did put all those Priests unto the sword that had forsaken the Lord to worship Baal 2 Reg. 10.25 And so should every Christian Magistrate do the like when he seeth the time serveth that he may and can do it For immedicabile vulnus Ense recidendum ne pars syncer a trahatur The Rule of nature tells us that the scab'd sheep must be separated from the Flock lest she infect the sound ones and so must Hereticks and Schismaticks from the flock of Christ but a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump and one lewd fellow may spoil many and one subtle Heretick or Schismatick may seduce many of the simple people and therefore I would they were cut off from you that trouble you saith the Apostle II. As a wise consideration must be had of the time when and how this rooting out of the weeds may be done 2. Of the persons so the like consideration must be had of the Persons that do offend and are themselves led out of the way For 1. Some are private 1. Tacit Offenders quiet and peaceable men that tacitly keep their errors and misbeliefs unto themselves and so do no great hurt but only unto themselves And 2. Some are more
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
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
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
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
and inabled for this space of 1200. and 60. years to build up the Temple which was commanded to be measured to be reared up But then it is said v. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and when these two witnesses That the two witnesses shall be killed thus orderly strengthning and assisting each other shall have finished or end their Testimony that is accomplish the full space of 1200 and 60 years the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make warre against them and shall overcome them and kill them three short sentences and three great wonders for 1. Three great wonders in these three short Sentences 1. Wonder Zech. 2.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the beaft shall make warre with them and is it not wonderfull that the beast should make warre with Gods witnesses for if he be a Warriour and will needs make warre can he fight with none or finde none to fight withall but with the witnesses of Jesus Christ for this is to fight against God himself and to touch them is to touch the apple of his eye as the Lord professeth most plainly in Zechary 2.8 and therefore hoc magnum est hoc mirum this must needs be a wonderfull thing that any beast should venture to make warre with Gods witnesses but the second thing here said is more wonderfull For 2. 2. Wonder He shall make warre with them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he shall overcome them Indeed they are filii pacis no Swordmen no men of blood though the King weares the Sword because they are the Sonnes of Oyl and the Children of peace and the King weares the Sword principally to preserve peace and the Office of the Bishops is to be evangelizantes pacem the preachers of peace through Jesus Christ and therefore in this respect it is no wonder that the Antich which comes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with all power both of Arms men and money should overcome these harmless men but is it not a wonder that God whose Servants they are and whose witnesses they be should not onely suffer this infernall beast to make warre with them but also to vanquish and to overcome them yes indeed it may seem marvelious in our eyes and it stumbleth many men and makes them to think ill of Gods witnesses to see them subdued by the beast which they would not so mis-judge if they would with the Prophet consult with God why he suffereth the wicked so to prosper and his own Children so to be punished And yet 3. The last point is most wonderfull and far more marvellous then the former 3. Wonder that he should overcome them for it followeth that he shall overcome them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he shall kill them what will nothing serve to quench the thirst of this beast but the blood of these Saints and the death of these witnesses and will God suffer his own dear servants his choycest Officers the rulers of his people and the witnesses of his onely Sonne Jesus Christ How God suffereth many things to be killed and murdered by this beast for this will make men to believe as many do that these witnesses are the beast and the beast to be the best witness of Jesus Christ but they might remember that as God suffereth all this so many times he suffereth much more then this as when he suffered Joseph to be sold into Egypt Vrias to be killed Daniel to be thrown into the Lions Den Shadrach Meshac and Abednego to be cast into the fiery furnace and above all and more strange then all his own dear and his onely Sonne to be killed and crucified by the like beast and they might think that God knoweth what is best and that he doth alwayes what is best and as the Apostle saith worketh all things together for the best for all that love him Rom. 8.28 so that their conquered condition proves to be their happiness and their enemies Victory to be their misery for though God suffered them to be vanquished and killed yet then are they Blessed Psal 116.15 and as the Prophet saith right dear in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints and much deerer is the death of his holy Martyres the Witnesses of his truth whose blood he will most assuredly avenge on them that dwell on the earth to make them most miserable Questi But here the question is that seeing the two Witnesses of Christ are the supreme Magistrate which is the King and the chiefe Priest which is the Bishop the Civil and the Ecclesiasticall Governours of Gods people and it is the Beast that ascendeth from the Bottomless pit which killed them who be they that are killed if they be killed and who is that beast that hath done it if it be done Respon I answer that Mr. Brightman thought that this Prophesie was fulfilled in the Smalcaldick War under Charles the 5th the which mistake Mr Mede doth sufficiently confute so that I need not stand to disprove this errour but if I demand whether King Charles and his Magistrates and the Bishop of Canterbury and his Clergy were not the Witnesses of Jesus Christ I presume none will none can justly deny the same and if againe it be demanded whether the long Parliament and their adherents did not make war with the King and accuse the Bishops and most of the rest of the grave Doctors and faithfull Preachers of this Church for innovation and a high Project of bringing in Popery into this our Kingdome which unjust suspition and groundless jealousie they spread every where among the people to set them on fire and to gallop unto the War against the King to press him to subscribe confirme and ratifie their covenant whose principall scope was to roote out and to overthrow the Hierarchy and the Ecclesiasticall Governors of Gods people which were the Bishops and the other faithfull Witnesse of Christ I beleive all this is so well known to all the Kingdome that every one will confess it and as they cannot deny the War with these Witnesses so they must yield that these two Witnesses both King and Bishop were vanquished and killed I am sure that Parliament hath overcome the King and he is killed which was the supreame Magistrate and one of the two Witnesses of Christ And I find the names of such persons as did actually sit as Judges upon the Tryall of his Magisty with the Councill and attendants on the Court which they called the High Court of Justice to be these JOhn Bradshaw And I do set them down that all posterities and their Childrens Children and whose embrioes are not yet in being may understand who had the honour to be the Judges of this good and Godly King to condemne him to death And I would have it observed that of these 32. were Colonels and three Generals that fought against the King and all of them a party that warred and waged the warr against him and
expended and consumed yet certainely to their Offices and dignities with some competency of estate to support their dignities which they shall obtaine in despight of the beast and all his followers for their Enemies shall see them saith the Text though they were brought to that pass in a Cloud that is by a misterious and an unperceived way and they shall not be able to hinder them because they shall be advanced and lifted up into their places by a Cloud and in a Cloud which signifieth an innumerable multitude of Gods Servants that shall unite themselves together to re-establish the two Witnesses and to advance the Kingdome of Christ against the Antichrist And therefore it is immediately added v. 13. v. 13. that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the very self same houre that is wherein the Witnesses shall ascend up to Heaven that is to take their places and dignities in the Church of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there was or there shall be a great Earthquake and the tenth part of the City fell or shall fall for in the Prophetick stile things to come are spoken of for the certainty of their fullfilling in the present or perfect tense as if they were already past and in the Earth-quake were slaine or shall be slain of men 7000. Where by the way What 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifieth you must observe that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 moveo to move doth not properly signifie an Earth-quake but simply any quaking or motion and may be referred to any matter as head heart City Kingdome or Commonwealth And this I conceive to be also fulfilled and by the figure Synecdoche it is specially used to signifie an Earthquake and therefore the meaning of the Holy Ghost in this expression is that when the two witnesses that were killed shall in their successors be listed up to their offices of government both of the Church and Commonwealth there will be a great quaking and fear and shaking in the Land and a grievous stir among the multitude and perhaps a commotion or an insurrection or at the least a mighty discontent and murmuring among the enemies of the witnesses and of the people against the Antichrist and his party and in all likelihood whensoever and in what place soever the stir and commotion shall happen to be it will begin among the Antichrist his own party either his Souldiers or adherents or some others of his chief Commanders And the Angel saith eodem v. that in the same stir and commotion and discontent the tenth part of the City that is of that great City where the Lord was crucified and the witnesses lay dead in the streets thereof that wicked Sodom and hypocriticall Hierusalem fell that is from the Antichrist and that is but a very small number out of a very great City What is meant by the tenth part of the City or else it may signifie the tenth part of the servants abettors and followers of the Antichrist that adhered unto him in that City Church or Kingdom where the two witnesses were slain shall fall away from him and assist him no further in his Antichristian proceedings against the Servants of Christ because they shall by that time perceive his hypocrisie and how themselves were deluded by his dissembling pretences of piety and if thus it be understood yet this is but a small discession from him and he need not much care to loose one part of ten he may do mischief enough with the other nine parts M. Mede p. 24. and therefore I do rather approve of Mr. Medes interpretation that by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the tenth part of the City we may understand the tribute of the Antichrist the Taxes and Contributions that are imposed upon the people to maintain the warre to pay the Souldiers and to defray all the other expences of the Antichrist which are usually the tenth part of their estates at the least which will be denied unto him And the falling away of this part may be to some prejudice unto him and cause some stir and commotion indeed The chiefestcause of the Earthquake or commotion because neither Warre nor Souldiers can be maintained without money nor the nine parts of the City stick unto him without their pay and I conceive that the deniall of those Taxes Contributions and Excises will be the prime cause of that commotion dissention and difference betwixt the Commanders of the Antichrist for want of their pay and then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that stir quaking motion or commotion and discontents were slain of men saith our Translation heads of men saith Junius names of men saith the Text 7000. the meaning is the same videlicet that in the stir tumult and commotion which shall happen among the Souldiers of the Antichrist and about the time of the setting up of the witnesses and the deniall of the Tribute and pay to the Souldiers 7000 men which may signifie a great many men shall be slain That men may be said to be killed two manner of wayes and it may be the meaning is that they shall be civilly killed that is onely excluded from their places and offices and become of no power or authority being disbanded and scattered because they did contest one with another and oppose and withstand the rising of the witnesses for as here amongst us the two witnesses of Christ 1. The Monarchy and Magistracy 2. The Hierarchy and Episcopacy were not all corporally slain but onely the King as the head and chief of the Magistrates and the arch Bishop as the prime and first of the Hierarchy and the rest both of the Magistracy and Ministry were onely mystically and civilly slain by their suppression silencing and taking away their meanes and offices from them so I conceive that in the stir muttering and discontent for putting down the witnesses and in the desire and workings to set them up again to revive them How the enemies of the witnesses shall be slain and restore them to their places and dignities some few of the grand opposers of the Monarchicall Government shall be corporally put to death or kill'd and the rest that will be very many exprest here by the number of 7000 Chiestains Officers and their adherents shall be onely cashiered displaced and their Commissions and power taken from them and so mystically and civilly slain And those 7000 men that shall be either thus mystically slain or according to the letter corporally killed in that commotion and for their opposition against the rising of the witnesses are not of the common sort of men but Chiestains and Officers and all men of name of note and account such as the Companions of Corah were termed men of renown in the Congregation so shall these men be Numb 16.253 The great multitude of the followers of the Antichrist men famous in the
yet Junius doth expound it of the civil Empire of the Romans Alcazar saith it is to be understood de Romano imperio athnico of the Romane Ethnick Government under the Heathen Emperors Mr. Mede understands it of the Caesarian Empire parted into ten Kingdomes and Dr. Hammond makes it to signifie the Heathen Idoll worship of the Romans and so as St. Augustine saith of the like case alij atque alij aliud atque aliud opinati sunt and it is not my purpose neither will my time and my book give me leave to shew the mistakes and to confute all and every one of the assertions of these learned men that be they never so learned may be easily deluded by the strength of their own fancies especially when they are byassed to some wrong end or carryed away with any prejudicate conceit but I hope the Testimonyes of so many ancient and worthy Fathers that I have before named and the particular description of this Beast which I shall explaine unto you and likewise his acts and doings together with many other circumstances and particularities That this Beast signifieth the Wicked state and Government of the Antichrist that are hereafter to be specified will overweigh the opinions of these and other worthy men that think otherwise then I set downe and will make it plaine unto you that by this Beast is signified the great and greatest Antichrist that should come into the world or the flagitious State and Government of the Antichrist opponent and set up against the true Government of Christ though pretending very strongly to be the very same in all things with that Government which Christ himself hath instituted and for the inlargement of the Church and Kingdome of Christ for 1. 1. The Beast had 7 heads This Beast is said to have seven heads and these seven heads say some of them that by this Beast do understand the Ethnick Empire of Rome are the seven principall persecutions of the Christians betwixt the time of Nero and of Julian the Apostata Ut refert Cornelius alapide as first Domitian second Traian third Antoninus fourth Severus fifth Decius sixt Valerianus seventh Dioclesian and those of Maximinus and Aurelianus Dr. Hammond in c. 17 pagina 985. c. 13. pag. 967. are not accounted as any heads of the Beast because the commands of Aurelianus were not executed and that of Maximinus was not universall but only against the Pastors and Preachers of the people or as some others do account these seven heads first Claudius second Nero third Galba fourth Otho fifth Vitellius sixth Vespasian seventh Titus But against this Caracotta strigil pag. 52. it is justly objected that six of these never made any Cruel edict against the Christians and if these seven be the seven heads of the Beast then these being taken away the Beast shall remaine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a body without a head and if Domitian be the Beast that was and is not as both Grotius and Dr. Hammond think then these seven heads must be heads without a body because they had all been and had all past before Domitian came Alapide saith C. a lapide in loc Mr. Mede hac septem capita sunt septem reges qui praecesserunt Antichristum these seven heads are seven Kings which have gone or shall come and go before the Antichrist commeth Mr. Mede takes these seven heads for the seven states of the Roman Government pag. 49. 1 Kings 2 Consuls 3 Tribunes 4 Decemviri 5 Dictators 6 Emperors 7 Popes And so Maresius saith these seven heads do signifie not the seven Kings which Grotius nameth Mares pag. 17.2 pag. 118. but the seven politique formes of Government whereof five were now already past the sixt that was of the Caesars was then in being and the seventh which was to continue but a very short time under Odoacer was to succeed in his time for whereas Mr. Mede maketh the 7th Order of their Government to be that of the Popes Maresius makes it of Odoacer King of the Heruli which extinguished the Government of the Caesars in Augustulus Baron ad ann 476. n. 1. when the Westerne Empire wholly ceas't and was divolved unto the Barbarians and the forme of Government quite altered because saith he nomen regis assumsit Odoacer cum tamen nec purpura nec regalibus uteretur insignibus Alcazar saith they be the seven deadly sins that are the seven heads of this Beast Which Endaemon confuteth pag. 122. c. and 128. c. Apud Thomson pag 53. as first the pride of a Lyon second the Covetuousness of a Tygar third the Luxury of a Bear fourth the Anger or wrath of a Viper fifth the Gluttony of a Wolfe sixth the Envy or malice of a Serpent seventh the Sloath and Laziness of an Ass seven heads that are very great and very bad heads indeed and he must needs be a very bad Beast that hath all these seven bad Heads but The Holy Ghost expounding these seven Heads saith they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seven Mountaines and Theodore Beza c. 17.9 Francis Junius with the most part of our latter Interpreters that would faine make the Ecclesiasticall Hierarchy of the Pope to be the Beast and Rome to be his seat do expound them to be the seven hills whereupon the City of Rome was built which are Mount 1. Palatine 2. Capitoline 3. Quirinall 4. Caelius 5. Esquiline 6. Aventine 7. Viminall In respect whereof the Grecians call the City of Rome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and varro calls it Septiceps seven headed Rome and others call it the City of seven Hills Virgilius georgic lib. 2. versus sinem as Virgil speaking thereof saith Scilicet rerum facta est pulcherrima Roma Septemque una sibi muro circumdedit arces and Propertius saith Vrbs Septem alta jugis toti quae presidet orbi and Ovid saith Ovid. trist l. 1. eleg 4. Sed quae de Septem totum circum spicit orbem Montibus imperij roma deumque locus But though the Greeks and Latines call Rome the City of seven Hills That the seven Hills are not the seven Heads of the Beast yet this seemeth not to me to be the meaning of the Holy Ghost in this Text to understand these seven Hills by the seven Heads of the Beast Reason 1 1. Because that besides these seven Hills Rome had three other Hills that were of speciall note though not included within the pomaerium so soon as the other Hills were as 1. Collis Hortulorum where the cirque or shew place of Flora was 2. Janiculus where Janus was buried and which is now called Montorius Rosinus antiquit l. 1. c. 11. or Mons aureus the golden Hill 3. Vaticanus from vaticinium from whence they had their predictions and Prophesies and therefore seeing this City had ten Hills it is not likely that the Holy Ghost meant the first
I need not stand any longer to unkennell this Beast seeing that the same things that are incident to the Presbyterians may be truely applyed to the Independants but that in my judgement the Independant is less rigid more tolerable and quiet and of far better faith and principles then the Presbyterians 3. 3. The Presbyterians the first fountain and the chiefe Head of this false Prophet The Presbyterians not as they are Presbyters but as they now shew themselves to be under this notion and name of Presbyterians are the primum mobile and the maine stock from whence do spring all the branches of this false Prophet and though I might collect many more yet I will infist and that briefly but upon these foure points besides their correspondency with what the Spirit of God setteth down here that do sufficiently shew them to be this false Prophet and they are 1. Their Apostasie 1. Their Apostasie For 2. Their Perjury For 3. Their Hypocrisie For 4. The obliquity of all their actions For 1. 1 John 3.19 They were with us and as St. John saith they went out from us because they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us but in the height of their pride they left their station forsook their coulors and started aside like a broken bowe And so 2. 2. Their Perjury The Oath of the Presbyters when they are made Ministers In Apostatizing from that Profession which they made at their Ordination and denying their Bishops and Diocessans to be their Guides and their Governors they became perjured to break their faith and to falfifie their Oath which they made in the presence of God and his Congregation when they were ordained for when any one is to enter into the Holy Order of Priesthood the Bishop demands of him will you reverently obey your Ordinary and other chiefe Ministers unto whom the Government and Charge is committed over you following with a glad mind and will their godly admonitions and submitting your selfe to their godly judgements and he that is to be admitted Priest answereth I will so do the Lord being my helper which is a promissory Oath that requireth performance and may no way be dispensed with and violated at our pleasure as that Learned Regius Professor of Oxford Doctor Sanderson Vide Dr. Sanderson de Juramento Promissorio in that excellent Book De Juramento Promissorio hath most amply declared unto us and shall we think that they can be true Prophets to us that have been false and perjured to themselves or shall we commit our soules to their custody that have forfeited their own soules unto the Devill or shall we not believe that these rather then the Roman Clergy are this false Prophet For 1. They have not refused to be subject and obedient to their Governors nor stepped aside from their station and therefore cannot be taxed with this Apostasie that the Apostle ascribeth to the many Antichrists that were in his time 2. They have not falsified their faith and perjured themselves in not performing their Oath and observing their promise which they made when they entered into Sacred Orders but to proceed 3. For their hypocrisie I leave it to the world to judge of it And 4. For the obliquity of their actions it is well observed by one that in all their doings they and their Proselites do imitate King Saul to a haire for first King Saul without any respect or regard to the Office and Authority of the Priest would presume to offer sacrifice 1 Sam. 13.9 10. as afterwards Vzziah would have done so the new Presbyters though they cannot show that they have any authority descentive from hand to hand from the Apostles as all 2 Chron. 26.16 17. and every true Presbyter ought to have yet will they intrude themselves to do the offices of the Ministers of Christ 2. Saule had an evill spirit that could not abide any musick but would have killed David when he played before him 1 Sam. 18.10 11. so the Presbyterians cannot endure any Organs or Musick in the Worship of God 3. Saul made no conscience of his Oathes but through the vehemency of his Zeal forsooth to Gods Honour he despised the wisdom of his fore-fathers and therefore he breaks the Oath that they made unto the Gibeonites and would needs slay those harmeless Gibeonites and the whole Nation of the Jewes must smart for his foolish rashness and his bloody act so the Presbyterian or Rumpe Parliament and their Teachers the Presbyters were such Zelots and so Holy that they despised the wisdom of our former Parliaments and so brake their Oathes of their Alleageance and Supremacy to the King and as I said before of their obedience and subjection to the Bishops and the Church of Christ and slew the two Witnesses of God and the whole Kingdom hath ever since smarted for the same 4. Saul was a most malicious man and as cruell as any one of those times as you may read how he persecuted and hunted after the life of David 1 Sam. 18.11 Chap. 19.1.10 Chap. 21.1 c. without any cause and against all Reason would have put his own son Jonathan to death and did not the Presbyterian Parliament as maliciously hunt after the Kings life and the Bishops and abundance more of the Kings Party let my Reader judge 5. This goodly King for Davids sake caused fourscore and five persons of the Lords Priests that did weare a linnen Ephod saith the Text to be slain and all that they had to be destroyed and did not the Proselites of these Presbyters for King Charles his sake because they were honest and faithfull unto their King as he was loving and like a Father unto them run and ruinate well-near as many Bishops besides the Deanes Prebends and many more godly Ministers that were Canonicall and wore the linnen surplice though they that hated the surplice escaped their brethrens fate and were protected and advanced by these Presbyters as those that rejected the linnen Ephod were preserved by Saul for it is most evident that the Spirit of God would not have set down the garments of those Priests that were destroyed but to intimate unto us that some other false Priests that could no more abide the linnen Ephod then our Presbyters can now endure the white surplice were joyned with Saul and whispered in his ears against those that did wear the Ephod as the Presbyterians did alwayes ring in the ears of the Parliament men against the wearers of these holy garments otherwise it had been enough to say that Saul had caused to be slain so many Priests of the Lord without any further mention of wearing the linnen Ephod but the holy Ghost setteth not down the least title to no purpose And I could wish his Majesty would well consider how that very very many of the prime Presbyterians in London and the country made
they could find to put these offices and the government of the Churches into their hands and they thought it well in such a kingdom as this of Ingland if they found 26. men that with the help and advice of their brethren their Deans and Prebends were sufficient to govern the Churches so wisely and so orderly as they ought to do it and do you think it is as easie to finde 6000. men that are fit to do it that you may place a Bishop in every Parish I think you will faile and your selves at last will see your own folly and smart for your mistaking when every Parish Priest will be as imperious over you as Hildebrand was over Henry the fourth But 2. Touching the working of strange miracles we say it was a great miracle 2. To work strange miracles 1 Reg. 17.23 Acts 9.4 John 11.44 that Elias did to raise the dead child of the widow of Sarepta and a great miracle that Saint Peter did to raise Dorcas an old widow that was dead to life again and it was a greater miracle that Christ did to raise up Lazarus out of his grave when he had been dead four dayes And yet besides their many meaner miracles that these Presbyters say they do they pretend if you will believe them to do things that are far more miraculous and greater wonders then any of these or them either that Moses or Elias or any other of all the Prophets or Apostles ever did for we are sure that neither of all those either did or could raise a soule dead in trespasses and sins to the life of grace but this being as it were a new creation it must be left alone to God for ever whose proper work it is to create a new heart and to renew a right spirit within us yet this beast and the disciples of this false Prophet do boast and brag unto the people of the multitude of Saints that they have begotten to God when as indeed they have of late seduced them to be as false and as rebellious as themselves What wonderful thing the Presbyters do Psalm 51.10 The discourse of a Presbyterian with the Authour Esay 53. â—â— And so one of them asked me where were the Seales of our Apostleship the signes and evidences of our Bishops and Prelatical mens ministery how many soules had they converted unto God and where were those converts whereby they might approve themselves unto the people to be the true Ministers of God as they could do by the confession of their Proselytes and I answered that I feared their converts were but perverted and that I conceived it was not in mans power to convert soules when as the Prophet cryeth who hath believed our report and again all day long have I stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and a gainsaying people and if it had been in mans poower to work faith in the hearts of the hearers then questionlesse Rom 10 1. c. 9.3 We have not the power to convert souls this great Prophet would have done it in the children of Israel and Saint Paul would have converted the Jewes his own brethren according to the flesh whom he did so dearly love as himself doth testify to have believed in Christ but we know that although the false Prophets may easily pervert men to disloyalty and wickednesse because the devill is alwayes ready to help them and natural men are prone to evill yet we cannot convert men to the true faith and to goodnesse Acts 15.19 unlesse the Spirit of God cooperateth with us to open the hearts of our hearers as he opened the heart of Lydia when the Apostle preached unto her because as Saint Hierom saith inanis est sermo docentis nisi intus sit qui docet the Preacher may say with the Prophet in vacuum laboravi I have laboured in vain if God by his spirit doth not preach unto the heart And therefore their wonderful brags of converting soules are but lying wonders not to be regarded by any man that regards the truth Psal 15.12 and these hornes are not the hornes of the Lamb but ungodly horns and the horns of the ungodly which as the Prophet saith shall be broken by the Lord all to pieces That the two horns may signifie the two Testaments Torres in sua Philosophia morali pag. 849. Texeda pag. 6. of his miracles unmasked Or else these two horns as Cornelius à lapide saith to whom I subscribe may signify the two testaments which are robora ornamenta Christi the strength and ornament of Christ and the language of the lambe which bring men to believe in Christ rather then then all the miracles of Christ for as Torres out of Lactantius saith non idcirco à nobis creditur Christus quia mirabilia fecit sed quia vidimus facta esse omnia quae nobis annuciata sunt vaticinio prophetarum Christ is not therefore believed by us because he wrought miracles which Vespasian did and the idolatets of China do and the false Prophets by our Saviours testimony may do but because we have seen all things accomplished which were foretold us of him by the Prophets The paralell This is infallibly fulfilled in the Paesbyterians And the beast layeth claim to these hornes and so of all the Preachers and Prophets Papists or Protestants it is well known that none pretend more love and more right to these hornes then the Presbyterians and the Independant and Lay-Preachers do for they reject all other learning and all authorities of Counsells Fathers Poets Orators Histories and all other Books and will allow of nothing but the pure book of the holy Scripture they will have none other horns but these which they say are the hornes of our Lamb and no Christian will denie them to be so nor gainsay the strength and authority of these hornes And yet as A lapide rightly observeth as I told you before of it A good obserservation of Cornel à lapide in loc this beast is said to have not the two hornes of the Lamb but two hornes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like to the horns of the Lamb and every Sophister can tell you that nullum simile est idem that which only is like a thing is not the thing and therefore though they cry out with the false Prophets of the Jewes os Domini loquutum est the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it for they preach nothing but Gospel and the pure Scriptures of the two Testaments and it is we and not they if you believe them that run to the puddles of humane authorities yet in very deed it is no such matter for the holy Ghost that best understandeth both the language of the Lamb and of this beast tells us plainly in the very next words that although their horns be like the horns of the Lamb yet in truth Why this second beast is said to speak like the Dragon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
by that Long-Parliament or otherwise their attempts against the King Bishops and Church had sooner died had they not received life from and by the pens and tongues of that beast that sate at Westminster and spread his Armes over all the Kingdom most unjustly to rob and to take away their livings from all the poore and honest ejected Clergy And therefore what was hyperbollically said of Pope Clement the eighth with the changing of a word or two may far more justly and orthodoxally be said of this false Prophet the Assembly and whole company of Presbyterians as a just Epitaph upon their Tombes when the Church shall be freed of them Hunc caetum eripuit nobis clementia fati Humanum toto gaudeat orbe genus Hic est qui fuerat iam dedecus orbis urbis fuit aetatis magna ruina suae Hic est si nescis qui jam tibi multa paravit Excidium pestem funera bella famem The Presbyserians Epitaph when the Church shall be freed of them Hic est qui fuerat regnans infamia mundi Imperii labes spurcitiesque sui Contemptor divum scelerum vir publicus hostis Perfidus ingratus raptor iniquus atrox Videbit mortis centum tormenta futurae Paena tamen mortis non erit aequa suis Ex ista tandem migravit urbe tyrannus Quo nullus toto pejor in orbe fuit And therefore their impiety and wickednesse herein as in all other their doings exceedeth the possibility of my expression which makes me to borrow it from better pens and I professe to speak this out of no partiality or disaffection to any particular man of all the Presbyterians because they are all alike unknown to me either by benefits or injuries but I speak it out of a bitter distast and hatred to their Pharisaicall hy pocrifie and blinde leading of the simple people to no simple sin when as here they are said to give life to the image of the beast 1. c. as I said to egge ou the first beast to all wickednesse and to justifie the same unto the people and if these forenamed things be not sufficient to make a perfect Antichrist let Lucifer send him out of hell Or else the image of the beast may signifie not the actions but the actors of those injuries and impieties Mr. Mede pag. 6. clavis apocal That the image of the beast and the seven headed and ten horned beast are the same thing that is the image of the two horned beast Revel 19 20. 1. Iustance 2. Iustance that are committed and that is the first 10. horned beast is said to be the image of the second two horned beast for Mr. Mede hath rightly observed as I conceive that the first 10. horned beast and the image of the beast are voces convertibiles and equivallent and do fignifie not two things as a man and his picture or his statue but the very selfe same thing which he proveth by three speciall instances 1. In that where the beast and the false Prophet are mentioned together which is three times at least by the beast is understood the 10. horned beast and by the false Prophet is understood the two horned beast 2. Where the Beast and the image of the beast are coupled together which is six times at least as Chap. 14.9 and ver 11. Chap. 15.2 Chap. 16.2 Chap. 19 20. Chap. 20.4 there by the beast is understood not the first 10. horned beast but the second two horned beast and by the image of the beast is understood the seven headed and ten horned beast as being now revived and healed of the wound that it had formerly gotten by the meanes that is by the pens and tongues the and writings of the false Prophet and therefore as receiving in himself the Divinity and direction and the very platforme of his proceedings from this Prophet he might very well be said to be the image of the false Prophet and that appeareth the more plain because this image when it had received life and breath by the meanes of the false Prophet doth now begin to speak and to make orders and Ordinances that whosoever would not worship the image of the beast that is serve and obey him which is nothing else but the very image and the lively representment of this Prophet whom he deemes as the Oracle of God and whose instrument he professeth himself to be to act according as this Prophet out of Gods word doth prescribe unto him should be killed v. 15. 3. 3. Instance In that wheresover the beast is present together with the false Prophet the image of the beast in the same construction of words is not to be found as if the name of the beast should serve the turn to let us understand that the first 10. horned beast is there by the beast to be understood And therefore as the impieties and wickedness of the first 10. horned beast is rightly said to be the image of that beast so that beast himselfe is and may be as truely said to be nothing else but the very image of the two horned beast the false Prophet that gave life unto this image that is the impieties of the first beast to do all the mischiefe that was and is done And whereas Ludovicus de dieu Objects and saith that the 14. v. of this thirteenth Chap. seemes to contradict this that I have said because the two horned beast or false Prophet is there said to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to them that dwell on the earth that they should make an image to the beast that had the wound whereas it should have been said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they should make an image to him if it were the image of the two horned beast and false Prophet but the two borned beast bids them make an image to the beast that was wounded and healed and if this image of the beast be the very first ten horned beast it doth not appeare how the inhabitants of the earth should be injoyned to make that which was and was seen to arise out of the sea before Sol. To this Mr. Mede answereth right as I conceive that where the conjunction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the beast and of his image does meet there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his is to be taken actively and not passively that the sence might be the image which the two horned beast required to be made Judg 18.1 as Micha's idoll is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his image and Nebuchadnezzars Statue is said to be the image of Nebuchadnezzar but where that copulation is not found as in that 13 Chap. v. 14 15. there it is taken passively and as I formerly said for the impieties iniquities and wickedness of the first ten horned beast as they do most lively represent that very beast Indeed the conceit of Arise Evans that the litle Parliament was the image of the first long Parliament is pretty
concernment to the whole Church it should be very well plainly and sufficiently proved and manifested and not darkly and improbably demonstrated or else it ought hardly to be received and not at all to be beleeved 4. Whereas pag. 2. of this interpretation he saith that because oppositorum eadem estratio and that the mysterie of 144. to which this number of 666 is opposed is contained in the roote thereof which is 12 therefore the mysterie of this 666. must be contained in the roote thereof which is 25. I say that the misterie of 144. is indeed interpreted to consist in the roote thereof which is 12. which being 12 times multiplied doe make up just 144. and yet the Holy Ghost maketh no such interpretation of it but that those spirits which beleeve nothing but the expresse text of scripture may as easily reject it as receive it but being granted that this is rightly interpreted because the twelve Apostles St. Paul left out that laboured in the building more then any if not then most of them all were the foundations of the wall of the new and spirituall Jerusalem yet it followeth not that because this mysterie must be explained by the extraction of the roote of 144. therefore the other mystery that denoteth the beast must consist in the roote of 666 no more then the mysteries of many other numbers expressed in scripture can be said to consist in their extracted rootes and though the beast be opposite to Christ and the Synagogue of Satan opposite to the Church of Christ or Babylon to Jerusalem yet this doth not in any understanding prove that 666 is more opposite to 144. as it is a set number then it is to 444 or to any other definite number 333 being as I conceive a more oppofite number in respect of division to 666. Onely this 666 is said to be the number of the beast in direct and plain termes and the other number of 144 is interpreted by some authors to be understood of the Church militant here on earth and by others of as good repute to be the typicall expression of the Kingdome of Heaven Besides the twelve Apostles were but the foundations of this wall as having their names in them v. 14. the wall being made up of other stones that is of all the beleeving christians and so it comprehendeth the whole Church and then the opposition must be not betwixt the Hierarchie of the Pope and his Cardinals and the Hierarchie of the Christian Church but betwixt the whole Church of Christ whose wall and not whose foundation v. 17. was 144 cubits and the whole Synagogue of Satan that is made up of theeves infidels and all other wicked reprobates therefore the Pope and his Cardinals cannot be the the beast that by this exposition of opposites must fignifie all the whole companie of reprobates which is far contrarie to the meaning of the Holy Ghost that plainly differenceth the beast and the worshipers and followers of the beast as the Lambe and the followers of the Lambe are not the same But indeed contrarie to the opinion of Mr. Forbes and some other that make this vision of the new Ierusalem to be typus presentis ecclesiae a type of the militant Church I shall with many of the most ancient interpreters denie this discription of the new Ierusalem to be the type of the Christian militant Church and say that ad captum nostrum that can reach no higher then demonstration this admirable explication of this citty is thus set down to shew unto us those ineffable excellencies and most glorious estate which the servants of Christ shall enjoy in the kingdome of Heaven for if you observe the coherence of this 21 c. with the former you shall finde there c. 20. that the beast and the false prophet and the devill are cast into the lake of fire to be tormented for ever and ever v. 10. and the dead both smale and great were all judged according to their works v. 12 and death and bell and all that were not written in the booke of life were cast into the lake of fire which can be no other then the last judgement against all the reprobates this is the end of them And then after St. Iohn had shewed the end of them and their sad condition for ever he proceeds in the 21 c. to shew unto us according to the best of our apprehension the most happie state and condition of the children of God in heaven which he expresseth under this type that he saw a new heaven and a new earth even as St Peter and before him the prophet Esay long agone had prophysied and foretold the servants of God how happie they should be and because that which is no where is not at all as St. Aug. Tolle spatia locorum corporibus nusquam erunt et quia nusquam erunt non erunt saith therefore he describeth the place where they shall remain in bliss under this type of the new Ierusalem whose excellent frame and figure he doth here so amply describe unto us wherein you may observe that the things attributed to the Cittizens of this new Ierusalem are incompatible with the members of the church militant for it is said that God shallwipe away all teares from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more paine v. 4. which cannot be referred and applied to the members of the purest church on earth and so many other things are set down c. 22. to be in this heavenly Cittie which cannot without apparant violence unto the text properly be thought to be in the militunt church but are most elegant expressions by way of allusion of those incomprehensible excellencies that the saints shall finde in the kingdome of heaven 5. Whereas he saith pag. 3. that it is not said as it is observed by many let him that hath understanding count the name of the beast but count the number of the beast I answer that in c. 13. v. 17. it is said that no man might buy or sell but he that had the marke or the name of the beast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the number of his name therefore the number of the beast and the number of his name are all one and so both the one and the other both signifying the same thing are said to contain therein the just number of 666 when as the number of the beast is put down for the number of the name of the beast 6. Whereas he saith c. 2. pag. 5. that the mysterie of 144. consisteth in the square roote of it which is 12. I answer as before that I doe not gain-say it but for the oppositio of 666 to this 144 that the mysterie of the 666. must consist in the square roote of it which is 25. as the mysterie of a 144 confisteth in the square roote of it which is 12 I utterly denie untill he can bring me
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
which was thought so invincible that no humane power could dissolve them yet as you have seen the breath of their own generall without one blow given without one drop of blood spilt did blow away that indissoluble conceived Parliament whose members now are metamorphosed from cruell Tygers to most timorous Hares that flye away from the noyse of the hunters And thus as the Psalmist saith like as the smoak perisheth so did the Lord drive away that cruell companie and herein the Lord our God did a work to his poor servants worthy of everlasting thanks and praise for remembring us when we were in troubles delivering us out of our distresses and therefore I may well say with the Psalmist O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodness shew the wonders that he doth for the children of men specially for this favour to dissipate scatter so many hundred tyrants that would have intailed the masterie both of Church kingdoms upon them selves and their successors for ever to perpetuate the slaverie of these nations far worse then the Athenians under the thirtie tyrants Justin l. 5. versus finem 2. The final and totall destruction of the Antichrist when to be 2. Though we acknowledge a three-fold advent or coming of Christ The 1. In humilitie when the word was made flesh The 2. In power when by his Spirit he doth powerfully regenerate his elect and protecteth them from all their enemies and destroyeth their ungodly adversaries and his despisers at his pleasure And The 3. In glorie and Majestie when he commeth to judge both the quick and the dead But for The 4. Comming that the Chiliasts or Millenaries dream of to overthrow the Antichrist in his owne person and after that to convert the Jews and then to reign a 1000 years with his Saints here on earth it is such a fiction as is not worthie to be thought on and brings so many erronious consequents with it as are not fit to be imbraced by any Christian and though some learned Divines do hold and understand the destruction of the Antichrist to be by the second comming of Christ that is his powerful comming by his spirit which shall utterly destroy this beast and leave not one Limb of him to remain and that not by the faithfull preaching of the Gospel which the Antichrist shall put down and instead thereof raise flattering and false Prophets and Parasites to countenance him in his impieties but by some powerfull strength that Christ by his Spirit shal work in the hearts of his servants beyond our capacities to conceive how as Moses saith One man should chase a thousand and two put ten thousand to flight that shall rise against the Antichrist to overthrow him yet wee finde two words in this expression of the Apostle which assure me that his utter destruction cannot be referred to any other coming of Christ That the utter ruine and totall destruction of the beast is not to be till the day of the last judgment then to his third and glorious comming to the last judgement For 1. The Apostle saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whom the Lord will destroy and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to abolish to make to cease to be and inanem reddere and to render him void the word being compounded of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ocior to be at rest and is a word seldome found in classick Authors Two words proving the same but often in the writings of S. Paul as Rom. 7.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but now soluti sumus we are loosened or as the Syriac hath it aboliti sumus wee are abolished from the law and in Gal. 5.4 he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exclusi estis separati à Christo you are made void and separate from Christ whosoever are justified by the law saith Beza and in 1. Cor. 15.26 he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the last enemie qui abolebitur saith Tremellius or qui aboletur saith Beza which shall be abolished and quite taken away that it be no more is death so here the Apostle by this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meaneth that the Lord at his appearance wil exclude separate abolish and quite take from himselfe and from his chosen saints and servants this wicked Antichrist and all his ungodly adherents that they be no more And this seperation of the goats from the sheep and of the tares and darnel from the Wheat is not made untill Christ shall set the Goats on his left hand and shall say unto them Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire because the tares shall not be weeded and rooted up nor the wicked be made to cease to be but shall remain as the Canaanites among the Israelites and as the hereticks Why the limbs of Antichrist shall be still suffered to remain among the faithful that being once sprung were never quite rooted out of the Church but their proselytes remained more or less in one place or other continually to be as thorns in the sides of Gods children to exercise their patience and to make them more watchfull over themselves and their own wayes while they walk and wander among such briars so shall the members of the Antichrist remaine amongst us and the final and total destruction and abolition of the beast and the quite taking away of all his Limbs head and feet root and branch that is the utter ruine of the Antichrist and all his followers and adherents cannot be understood to come to passe untill Christ shall come at the last day to make an end of them and to evacuate and bring to nothing both them and their devices plots and successes and to render vengeance unto them according to their just deferts 2. The other words that shew the Antichrist shall not be quite abolished 2. The other word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and destroyed till the coming of Christ to judgement are that the Lord shall destroy him that is quite take him away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the brightness of his coming saith our translation revelatione adventus sui by the revelation of his Coming saith Tremellius or illustri adventu suo saith Beza by his illustrious or glorious coming and this coming of Christ thus exprest can be no otherwise understood than of the last coming to judgement for though each and every of the three comings of Christ be illustrious and glorious in some respects yet the proper titles and the usuall Epithets of each coming are that his first coming The coming of Christ to judgment is properly called his glorious coming Math. 16. is called his humble coming or his coming in humilitie his second coming is stiled his gracious coming or his coming by his spirit to offer his grace unto us all and his third comming is termed his glorious coming when he cometh in the glorie of
his Father with his Angels And the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is derived of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which fignifieth to appear to be made manifest or to be brought to light because the proper signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in lucem proferre to bring into the light that which was not seen doth here signifie that coming of Christ which in the most proper sense is called his glorious coming The glorious Majestie of of Christ his coming to judgment 1. In respect of the person coming Rev. 13 14. or his coming in great Majestie and that is onely his coming to judgment when as his coming in the flesh was manifested but to few and his coming by his spirit is invisible to all imperceptible and unperceviable to most men but his coming to judgment shall be made manifest to all the men in the world and therefore is and may most rightly be termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a most glorious appearance and that both in respect of the person that cometh clothed with a garment down to the foot and girt about the paps with a golden girdle his hairs as white as Snow his eyes as a flame of fire his feet like unto fine brass his voice as the sound of many waters his mouth sending out a sharp two edged sword and his countenanc as the Sun shineth in his strength and everie way glorious as he appeared to this our Evangelist and secondly in respect of the glorious train and companie that shall attend and wait upon him 2. In respect of the companie that attend him which are thousand thousands of Angels and all the heavenly saints of Almighty God And though this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the glorious manifestation of him doth sufficiently shew the time of the quite rooting out and totall destruction of the Antichrist not to be till the last judgment yet here is another word that the Apostle useth which putteth the matter out of all doubt for he saith that the man of the sin shall be destroyed by the glorious appearance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth the coming of the Person of Christ of his Personal presence for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being compounded of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 co vel ad sum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 essentia doth import and must needs expresse the coming of the Person of Christ to destroy the Antichrist which made some expositors to suppose as I shewed before that his coming will be to begin the 1000 years felicitie here on earth whereas St. Peter tels us plainly that Christ never cometh in his own Person but the heavens must containe him untill the times of the restitution of all things which is the day of judgment and therefore the whole body of the beast Act. 3.21 Ob Et sic Hugo Grotius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christi interpretatur de ilius adventum suum ad particulare judicium iâ— Judaeos v. 1. and all the adherents of the Antichrist shall not be quite rooted out till Christ shall come to the last judgement But against this E. H. and others do object that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth doth not alwayes signifie the Personall presence or the essential appearance of Christ and to prove this besides the judgment of Mr. Leigh whom he rightly termeth our noble English Greek Critick that saith fateor quidem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saepe illum juditii adventum significari sed id perpetuum non est this word I confesse doth often fignifie his personal coming to judgement but not alwaies he quoteth certain places of Scripture where the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth the powerful coming of Christ by his Spirit and not the personal appearance of Christ as where St. Peter saith we have made known unto you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.16 which saieth he signifieth his powerful coming by his Spirit to convert the Souls of his people But Sol. I say that both the precedent and subsequent words and the very scope of the Apostle in that place doth most plainly prove that he meaneth not his spiritual coming to worke his graces in us but rather the first coming of Christ in the flesh which he saith was no devised fable because they were eye witnesses of his Majestie which they could not be of his powerfull coming by his spirit and therefore this place is wrested to make good their sence but clear enough to prove the word to signifie his personal presence whereof they were eye witnesses 1 Jo. 1.3 when the word was made flesh as St. John likewise testifieth 1 John 1.3 Obj. 2 2. He saith our Saviour vseth the like phrase in S. Mat. c. 16 28. There be some standing here Mat. 16.28 which shall not tast of death until they see the Son of man coming in his Kingdome and that is his powerful coming by his Spirit to work faith in his elect to increase his kingdome of Grace which is his Church and not his personal coming to receive his Saints to the Kingdome of glory before which time all and every one of them did tast of death Sol. but I say these words are no thing and of no force to prove that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth this his coming in his Kingdome or any other his powerful coming by his Spirit either to propogate his Gospel as some do understand that place of S. Mat. or to execute Judgement upon the Jewes as some others do understand it or upon any other enemies of Christ as some of our late interpreters think because the words which our Saviour useth are they shall not tast of death until they see the Son of man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 coming in his Kingdome where you see our Saviour doth not use the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie this his Spiritual and powerful coming by his Spirit but the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and we deny not the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie his gracious and powerful coming by his Spirits but we say that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is never found to signifie such a coming or any other besides his personal coming yet Obj. 3. He produceth the 24 of St. Mat. v. 3. and 30. Maâ— â—4 v. 3. and 30. where in the 3. v. indeed we have the Disciples asking the question of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what shall be the signe of thy coming and and here you see they use the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the coming of Christ but I demand what or which of his comings do they mean his gracious and powerful coming by his Spirit to build his Church and to destroy his enemies or his glorious personal coming in all Majesty to the last judgement I hope the next immediate words that are subsequent will shew you plainly